One-Step Solvothermal Synthesis of Fe3O4 Acicular Aggregates Induced by Reaction Medium and Urea for Photocatalytic Degradation of Azo Dyes

Bibliographic Details
Title: One-Step Solvothermal Synthesis of Fe3O4 Acicular Aggregates Induced by Reaction Medium and Urea for Photocatalytic Degradation of Azo Dyes
Authors: Yaohui Xu, Yuting Li, Quanhui Hou, Liangjuan Gao, Zhao Ding
Source: Nanomaterials, Vol 15, Iss 5, p 341 (2025)
Publisher Information: MDPI AG, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Collection: LCC:Chemistry
Subject Terms: Fe3O4, solvothermal, photocatalyst, UV irradiation, degradation, azo dye, Chemistry, QD1-999
More Details: Based on the magnetic sensitivity of Fe3O4 in various fields, we aimed to propose a one-step solvothermal process for the synthesis of single-phase Fe3O4 induced by the reaction medium and urea, avoiding high-temperature reduction in H2 or N2 atmospheres. Feasibility was tested with purified water (H2O), methyl alcohol (MA), ethyl alcohol (EA), and ethylene glycol (EG) as reaction media. The findings indicated that the solvothermal reaction system utilizing EA was more effective for the synthesis of cubic magnetic Fe3O4. Optimal conditions for synthesizing pure Fe3O4 were obtained by optimizing the urea amount and solvothermal reaction parameters. The optimal formulation consisted of 10 mmol of FeCl3, 80 mmol of urea, and 60 mL of EA subjected to a solvothermal process at 200 °C for 12 h. The resulting Fe3O4 (magnetite, cubic) exhibited commendable crystallization with a morphology of acicular aggregates and displayed excellent magnetic sensitivity properties with a magnetization of 92.2 emu/g at 15,000 Oe. The photocatalytic degradation behaviors of the resulting Fe3O4 to Methyl Orange, Orange G, and Acid Red 37 azo dyes and the repeated degradation performance of Methyl Orange dye were investigated. Nearly complete degradation of Methyl Orange dye occurred after 2.0 h of photocatalytic reaction, while Orange G and Acid Red 37 dyes achieved similar results after 3.5 and 4.5 h, respectively. The exploration strategy in this work for synthesizing magnetic Fe3O4 can be applied to design and fabricate other metal oxides or composites, potentially resulting in novel discoveries in morphology or performance.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2079-4991
Relation: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/5/341; https://doaj.org/toc/2079-4991
DOI: 10.3390/nano15050341
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/4864508949f441828f0c422424619bc7
Accession Number: edsdoj.4864508949f441828f0c422424619bc7
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:20794991
DOI:10.3390/nano15050341
Published in:Nanomaterials
Language:English