DEVELOPMENT OF COPPER AND ZINC FERRITES SUPPORTED IN GRAPHEN OXIDE FOR PHOTODEGRADATION OF MICROPOLLUTANTS
Heterogeneous photocatalysis, CuFe2O4, ZnFe2O4, graphene oxide, micropollutants.
In recent years, the concern with water contamination by micropollutants (or emerging contaminants) has become more and more increasing, since, if not treated correctly, the increase in the continuous discharge of these substances can initiate a series of negative impacts to the environment. Conventional water/wastewater treatment techniques are inefficient to completely degrade these substances. Thus, there is a need to develop suitable alternative methodologies from a technical, economic, and environmental point of view, such as Advanced Oxidative Processes (AOP), in particular, heterogeneous photocatalysis. In this regard, developing new catalysts with high efficiency for the degradation of organic compounds in effluents, mediated by sunlight and that are stable has also been a great challenge. Some materials in the form of spinel, such as ferrites, have attracted great interest due to their narrow bandgap, which favors their performance under visible light, good photochemical stability, low cost and favorable magnetism. The addition of graphene oxide, in turn, to the ferrite structure can expand the light absorption range of the material, improve the adsorption of pollutants, due to its high surface area, as well as improving the transport and separation of loads. Thus, the aims of this work are associated with the development of copper and zinc ferrites supported on graphene oxide and its derivatives; and the evaluation of its potential applications in photocatalytic reactions mediated by sunlight, for micropollutant degradation.