Synthesis of magnetically recyclable MnFe2O4@SiO2@Ag nanocatalyst: Its high catalytic performances for azo dyes and nitro compounds reduction

In this study, magnetically recycable MnFe2O4@SiO2@Ag nanocatalyst (MnFe2O4@SiO2@Ag MRCs) has been synthesized through co-precipition and chemical reduction method. XRD analysis confirmed the synthesis of single phase nanoproduct with crystallite size of 10 nm. VSM measurements showed the superparamagnetic property of the product. Catalytic studies showed that MnFe2O4@SiO2@Ag MRC could catalyze the reduction of the various azo compounds like methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB), eosin Y (EY), and rhodamine B (RhB) and also aromatic nitro compounds such as 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), 4-nitroaniline (4-NA) and 2-nitroaniline (2-NA). Moreover, the magnetic nanocatalyst showed an excellent reusability properties that remained unchanged after several cycles. Therefore, MnFe2O4@SiO2@Ag is the potential candidate for the application of organic pollutants for wastewater treatment. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.