Efficient visible light photocatalytic degradation of 17α-ethinyl estradiol by a multifunctional Ag-AgCl/ZnFe2O4 magnetic nanocomposite

The visible light active magnetic photocatalyst ZnFe2O4 was prepared via a facile hydrothermal and deposition-precipitation method using UV irradiation for photoreduction of Ag over AgCl for various durations. The Ag-AgCl/ZnFe2O4 nanocomposite (NC) showed efficient photocatalytic activity for the degradation of 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2), a recalcitrant endocrine disrupting compound. The pseudo rate constant (k ') of as-synthesized Ag-AgCl/ZnFe2O4 NC photo-reduced for 60 minutes was higher by a factor of 18.3 times compared to the ZnFe2O4 alone. In this Ag-AgCl/ZnFe2O4 NC, plasmon-excited Ag nanoparticles (NP) served as electron-transfer media, while ZnFe2O4 also participated in the charge transfer, besides serving as a support for Ag-AgCl. The electron transfer from ZnFe2O4 to Ag to AgCl in the Ag-AgCl/ZnFe2O4 NC enhances the interfacial charge transfer, and also contributes to the stability of the composite. Further, the composite can be magnetically separated for reuse. Hence, Ag-AgCl/ZnFe2O4 has a good potential in the field of environmental applications.