Photocatalytic activity of GO/Fe3O4 fabricated by Sri Lankan graphite under visible light irradiation

Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized using Sri Lankan naturally available graphite and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were successfully incorporated fabricating magnetically separable GO/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and FT-IR spectroscopy. Crystalline phases of GO and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were identified by XRD patterns, while the presence of functional groups such as –COOH, OH, CH₂ was confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy. SEM images show that Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with an average particle size of 107 nm ranging between 56-150 nm are dispersed on GO while restacking and folding of the nanosheets have been observed with incorporation of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The photocatalytic performance of the photocatalysts was evaluated on photodegradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation. The GO/Fe₃O₄ shows better adsorption behavior and excellent photocatalytic activity where it could be successfully used for three cycles without significant activity loss. This is due to the enhanced charge separation resulted due to the presence of GO sheets and better interactions between GO and Fe₃O₄.