Biosynthesis of ZnFe2O4@Ag hybrid nanocomposites for degradation of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid herbicide
Sandhya Punyasamudram, Reddy Prasad Puthalapattu, Ayyappa Bathinapatla, Suvardhan Kanchi, S. Jyothi, Putta Venkata Nagendra Kumar
Abstract
This work demonstrates recent advancements in the phytosynthetic and environmentally friendly method of preparing ZnFe2O4 and ZnFe2O4@Ag hybrid nanocomposites using Pedalium murex L leaf extract as a stabilizing and reducing agent. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized with UV-vis, FTIR, TGA/DSC, XRD, FE-SEM, and EDX to investigate the electronic as well as morphological properties. Moreover, the photocatalytic behavior of ZnFe2O4 and ZnFe2O4@Ag hybrid nanocomposites was evaluated with a breakdown of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-DPA) by exposing to UV-Vis light. The results obtained suggest that ZnFe2O4@Ag hybrid nanocomposite exhibited photocatalytic activity for the degradation of 2,4-DPA by approximately 94% in 60 min compared to ZnFe2O4. The hybrid nanostructure of ZnFe2O4@Ag significantly promoted charge transfer and prevented electron and hole recombination resulting in the enhancement of photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, ZnFe2O4@Ag nanocomposite showed the fair recyclable capacity for up to five catalytic cycles with an acceptable degradation percentage of 2,4-DPA. The findings of this study identify efficient charge transfer factor as a major contributor to the catalytic activity, with promising possibilities for the design of environmental remediation nanocomposite for harmful contaminants.