Structural, electrical, and photocatalytic properties of Y-type hexaferrite/carbon dot composite

The whole world is concerned about water pollution as they need purified water to survive and the major cause of water pollution is dyes. Therefore, it is essential to clean the water to protect the individual as well as marine life. A composite of carbon dots (with particle size 72 nm) and SrBaZn_1.25Mn_0.75Fe_10.5Zr_0.75Ni_0.75O₂₂ has been developed via hydrothermal method to degrade methylene blue under visible light. X-ray diffraction performed for the phase conformation of composite materials and for morphological scanning and transmission electron microscopy was performed. A composite material with a decreased DC electrical resistivity accelerates charge transfer and increases photocatalytic efficiency. In the absence of H₂O₂, the composite material showed 63% photocatalytic activity, but in the presence of 0.5 mL of H₂O₂, it can increase up to 93%. Due to its synergistic effect and capacity to prevent electron/hole pair recombination, the composite material performed much better when compared to the individuals. The scavenger tests proved that the ·O⁻₂, ·OH, and holes reactive species are involved for photodegradation of dye. The composite material has outstanding performance with excellent stability and good recyclability which make it suitable for its utilization as water remediation in the future.