Evaluation of synthesized ternary doped ferrite nanoparticles and their graphene oxide composites as enzyme mimics and photocatalysts
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Date
2020
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
Role of nanoferrites and their graphene Oxide (GO) composites as enzyme mimics and
photocatalysts is a thrust area of research. In the present work, pure and ternary doped ferrite
nanoparticles (NPs) of Mn, Co and Cu and their GO nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized
using facile sol-gel and sonication method respectively. FT-IR spectra and XRD patterns
confirmed the formation of single phase ferrite NPs, GO sheets and their NC. Maximum
saturation magnetization value was 65.0 emu/g for ternary ferrite NPs having formula
Mn0.4Co0.4Cu0.2Fe2O4. SEM and TEM micrographs revealed the porous nature and fabrication
of ferrite NPs onto GO sheets in the NCs. The larger surface area of NCs as compared to
pristine NPs was confirmed by BET studies. Synthesized NPs, GO and NC were evaluated as
peroxidase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme mimics.
MnFe2O4 NPs exhibited maximum peroxidase and PPO mimic activity, whereas SOD mumic
activity was shown by CuFe2O4 NPs. Observed results were explained on the basis of
structure of ferrite NPs. Synergistic adsorption and photocatalytic potential of ferrite NPs, GO
and NC was studied using malachite green and methylene blue as model compounds. The
adsorption data was best fitted into Langmuir adsorption isotherm and followed pseudosecond-
order kinetic model. The NC exhibited better adsorption and photocatalytic activity as
compared to ferrite NPs under visible light. The degradation mechanism was proposed on the
basis of mass spectrometric analysis of products formed during photodegradation.