Facile Synthesis of n-Fe3O4/ACF Functional Cathode for Efficient Dye Degradation through Heterogeneous E-Fenton Process

In order to put forward an efficient and eco-friendly approach to degrade dye-containing industrial effluents, an n-Fe3O4/ACF nanocomposite was synthesized using the facile precipitation method and applied as a functional cathode for a heterogeneous electro-Fenton (E-Fenton) process. In particular, optimal initial pH value, current density, pole plate spacing, and electrode area were confirmed through systematical experiments as 5.73, 30 mA/cm(2), 3 cm, and 2 x 2 cm(2), respectively. Under such optimal reaction conditions, 98% of the methylene blue (MB) was degraded by n-Fe3O4/ACF after 2 h of E-Fenton treatment. In addition, n-Fe3O4/ACF could still decolor about 90% of the methylene blue (MB) for five rounds with some reductions in efficiency. Furthermore, results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and heterogeneous E-Fenton performance tests indicated that the loading of metal material Fe3O4 could enhance the overall electron transport capacity, which could accelerate the whole degradation processes. Moreover, the rich pores and large specific surface area of n-Fe3O4/ACF provided many active sites, which could greatly improve the efficiency of O-2 reduction, promote the generation of H2O2, and shorten the reaction length between center dot OH and the pollutant groups.

Automated summary

In this study, an n-Fe3O4/ACF nanocomposite was synthesized and used in the heterogeneous electro-Fenton process to efficiently and eco-friendly degrade dye-containing industrial effluents. The material exhibited excellent degradation performance and recyclability, and showed advantages in overall electron transport capacity and active sites.