Magnetically Recyclable Fe3O4@His@Cu Nanocatalyst for Degradation of Azo Dyes

Fe3O4@His@Cu magnetic recyclable nanocatalyst (MRCs) was synthesized by reflux method using L-histidine as linker. The composition, structure and magnetic property of the product were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). Powder XRD, FTIR and EDAX results confirmed that the as-synthesized products has Fe3O4 with spinel structure and Cu nanoparticles with moderate crystallinity without any other impurities. The surface of the Fe3O4@His nanocomposite was covered by tiny Cu nanoparticles. We examine the catalytic activity of Fe3O4@His@Cu MRCs for the degradation of two azo dyes, methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) as well as their mixture. The reusability of the nanocatalyst was good and sustained even after 3 cycles. Therefore this innovated Fe3O4@His@Cu MRCs has a potential to be used for purification of waste water.