Biosynthesis of MnFe2O4@TiO2 magnetic nanocomposite using oleaster tree bark for efficient photocatalytic degradation of humic acid in aqueous solutions

The presence of humic acid compounds in water resources, as one of the precursors of Trihalomethanes and Holoacetic acids, causes health problems for many communities. The aim of this research study was to investigate the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of humic acid using MnFe2O4@TiO2 nanoparticles which produced by green synthesis method. The synthesis of metal nanoparticles using plant extracts and the study of their catalytic performance is a relatively new topic. Many chemical techniques have been proposed for the synthesis of MnFe2O4@TiO2 nanoparticles, but green synthesis has received much attention due to its availability, simplicity, and non-toxicity. The properties of synthesized nanoparticles were determined by SEM, FT-IR, XRD, EDS, and DLS analysis. The results of the study showed that under optimal experimental conditions (pH = 3, nanocomposite dose = 0.03 g/L, humic acid initial concentration = 2 mg/L, and contact time = 20 min), it is possible to achieve maximum degradation of humic acid. Therefore; MnFe2O4@TiO2 nanoparticles have high efficiency for removing of humic acid from aqueous solutions under UV light.

Automated summary

This research investigates the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of humic acid using MnFe2O4@TiO2 nanoparticles synthesized through a green synthesis method. The results show that these nanoparticles have high efficiency in removing humic acid from aqueous solutions under UV light.