Green Synthesized Fe₃O₄/rGO Nanocomposite for Photodegradation of Rhodamine B

Abstract:

The research on green synthesized Fe₃O₄/rGO nanocomposites for the degradation of rhodamine B waste is important to understand the influence of varying masses of Fe₃O₄/rGO nanocomposites on the photocatalytic degradation process of rhodamine B. In this research, characterization was conducted using an X-ray diffractometer, Vibrating Sample Magnetometer, UV-visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles had a crystallite size of 24.4 nm, whereas the Fe₃O₄/rGO 5:5 nanocomposite had a crystallite size of 13.5 nm. The saturation magnetization for Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was 55.3 emu/g; the Fe₃O₄/rGO 5:5 nanocomposite was 21.7 emu/g. From UV-Vis testing, the band gap energy of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was found to be 2.4 eV with an absorbance peak at 332 nm, while the Fe₃O₄/rGO 5:5 nanocomposite had a band gap energy of 2.7 eV with absorbance peaks at 337 nm. TEM characterization revealed that Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles had an average size of 15.6 ± 4.2 nm, while the Fe₃O₄/rGO 5:5 nanocomposite particles were 9.3 ± 2.2 nm in size. Besides the above characterizations, photocatalytic tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the Fe₃O₄/rGO 5:5 nanocomposite in degrading rhodamine B waste. It was tested involving varying concentrations of Fe₃O₄/rGO nanocomposite i.e. 0.01 g, 0.03 g, 0.05 g, 0.07 g, and 0.09 g. The results showed that the maximum degradation occurred at a mass of 0.05 g Fe₃O₄/rGO 5:5 nanocomposite, achieving a degradation percentage of 98.1%. This research concludes that green synthesized Fe₃O₄/rGO nanocomposites have the potential for environmentally friendly degradation of rhodamine B.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 1013)
• Pages: 129-138
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-5JAdIg
• Online since: May 2025
• Authors: Iska Novia Ramadhani*, Larrisa Jestha Mahardhika, Zurnansyah Zurnansyah, Putri Dwi Jayanti, Hafil Perdana Kusumah, Nurul Imani Istiqomah, Emi Kurnia Sari, Dyah Ayu Larasati, Nugraheni Puspita Rini, Nining Sumawati Asri, Julia Angel, Edi Suharyadi
• Keywords: Amaranthus Viridis Extract, Fe₃O₄/rGO, Green Synthesized, Moringa oleifera extract, Rhodamine B

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