The effect of graphene oxide content on the photocatalytic activity of (ZnCdS/MnFe2O4/GO) nanocomposite

Abstract

Novel ternary Zinc cadmium sulfate/Manganese ferrite/Graphene oxide (ZnCdS/MnFe 2 O 4 /GO) nanocomposites were synthesized via a hydrothermal process in this study, with a focus on optimizing the graphene oxide (GO) content. Characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE -SEM), UV - visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and N 2 physisorption were employed. The investigation revealed that nanocomposites with 3 wt% GO content exhibited superior adsorption capacity and visible-light photocatalytic activity for the removal of Methylene blue (MB) from wastewater. The ZnCdS/MnFe 2 O 4 /GO 3 % composite demonstrated exceptional stability and efficiency, achieving nearly 96 % MB removal within 220 min. Moreover, the ZnCdS/MnFe 2 O 4 /GO 3 % nanocomposites displayed promising reusability with sustained photocatalytic activity over multiple degradation-regeneration cycles. These findings highlight the potential of ternary GO/ZnCdS/MnFe 2 O 4 nanocomposites as effective photocatalysts for the practical remediation of organic pollutants in wastewater systems.