Microwave-induced catalytic application of magnetically separable strontium ferrite in the degradation of organic dyes: Insight into the catalytic mechanism

A novel microwave (MW)-absorbing material, SrFe2O4, was prepared by sol-gel method and used to degrade organic dyes under MW irradiation. The MW-induced catalytic performances were evaluated in detail. SrFe2O4 showed high catalytic activity for organic dyes such as methyl violet (MV) and crystal violet (CV). The enhanced catalytic performance could be ascribed to the production of MW-induced active species, such as holes (h(+)), superoxide radicals (center dot O-2(-)) and hydroxyl radicals (center dot OH) in the degradation process. A possible degradation mechanism and pathway was proposed in MW/SrFe2O4 system. Moreover, SrFe2O4 as an eco-friendly catalyst could be easily separated and recycled by a magnet. This work showed a great potential of SrFe2O4 particles for environmental purification of organic pollutants.