Visibly Active FeO/ZnO@PANI Magnetic Nano-photocatalyst for the Degradation of 3-Aminophenol

The water management sector is becoming extremely challenging these days because of poor water quality which is due to the presence of noxious pollutants at an alarming level. Herein, we report the synthesis of FeO/ZnO magnetic metal oxide (FZ MMO) and its nanocomposite with polyaniline (FZP). Designed photocatalyst has been characterized by various techniques such as X-Ray diffractometer (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR). Bandgap values as determined using Tauc plots has been found to be 2.46 and 1.80 eV for FZ MMO and FZP, respectively. Photocatalytic activity of FZ MMO and FZP under visible light irradiations has been studied for degradation of 3-aminophenol. The influence of adsorption on the degradation rate has also been studied. 92% of 3-aminophenol present in the solution was removed in 120 min using FZP under visible light. Thus present study gives a deep insight for the designing of highly photocatalytic and reusable photocatalyst that can be utilized for the removal of various pollutants from the water system.