Synthesis of magnetically recoverable visible-light-induced photocatalysts by combination of Fe3O4/ZnO with BiOI and polyaniline

Magnetically recyclable photocatalysts with efficient performances under visible light were synthesized by combining Fe3O4/ZnO with BiOI and polyaniline (PANI). The FT-IR, XRD, HRTEM, SEM, EDX, XPS, UV-vis DRS, VSM, BET, and PL instruments were utilized for characterization of the as-prepared products. The activity tests exhibited that the superior rate constant in photocatalytic performance was achieved over the Fe3O4/ZnO/BiOI/PANI (20%) nanocomposite, which enhanced for more than 59.9, 10.0, and 6.57 times, as compared to those of the Fe3O4/ZnO, Fe3O4/ZnO/PANI, and Fe3O4/ZnO/BiOI photocatalysts in degradation of RhB, respectively. Successful photocatalytic degradations of MO/MB and photo reduction of Cr (VI) were also investigated to confirm the potential application of the photocatalyst in removal of various pollutants. The considerably enhanced activity pointed to a promoting effect of p-n-p heterojunctions formed between PANI, ZnO, and BiOI, and improved textural characteristics, which are benefit for improvement of the photocatalytic performances.