Carbon-coated MnxZn1-xFe2O4 as a magnetic substrate for Zn0.8Cd0.2S applied in photocatalytic rhodamine B

Abstract In this work, a novel MnxZn1-xFe2O4/C/Zn0.8Cd0.2S (ZCMC) magnetic composite photocatalyst used carbon-coated MnxZn1-xFe2O4 as a magnetic substrate is fabricated successfully via a facile hydrothermal process and chemical precipitation method. The structure characterization and photocatalytic activity of the composite are explored. The results show that the prepared ZCMC samples exhibit excellent photocatalytic ability for rhodamine B (RhB) decomposition in 90 min under simulated sunlight, and the RhB degradation is above 90% when MnxZn1-xFe2O4/C accounts for 5%–25%. Notably, the ZCMC containing 20% magnetic matrix appears remarkable recyclability and stability, and the RhB degradation is higher than 85% within 90 min after five recycles. The outstanding photocatalytic performance for ZCMC is mainly responsible for the larger specific surface area (169.1 m2 g−1) and excellent separation efficiency of photogenerated charge. Furthermore, the trapping experiments disclose that •O2− radicals are the dominant active species, followed by •OH and h+ during RhB degradation. The possible photocatalytic mechanism for RhB degradation is discussed.