Polyaniline-ferrite nanocomposite as a new magnetically recyclable photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity

A facile strategy to fabricate polyaniline-ferrite (PANI-MFenOm, M = Cu, Y) nanocomposites with differing ferrite content via an in situ oxidative polymerization method has been reported. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy were employed to study the phase structure, morphology and optical properties of the samples. The photocatalytic activity of as-prepared photocatalysts is evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B in aqueous solution under visible-light (420 nm < λ < 800 nm) irradiation. The results show that polyaniline-ferrite nanocomposites exhibit higher photocatalytic activity and stability than both the naked ferrite and pure PANI. Among these as-prepared photocatalysts, PANI-CuFe2O4 composites with a PANI-to-ferrite ratio of 1:1 possess the highest degradation rate. Its apparent rate constant is 0.081 min−1, which is 3.71 times as much as that of pristine PANI (0.021 min−1). The presence of synergic effect between PANI and ferrites is believed to play a vital role in affecting the photoactivity.