Addition of silver nanoparticles to the zinc ferrite/polyaniline composition for boosting its visible photocatalytic degradation

Abstract

Enhancing the photocatalytic activity of ZnFe₂O₄ with a good energy band gap to degrade industrial waste under sunlight illumination can help to develop green environments. Here, to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of ZnFe₂O₄ ferrites, they were merged with polyaniline (PAni) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles to synthesize Ag@ZnFe₂O₄–PAni plasmonic nanostructures. The as-synthesized nanostructures were characterized using a series of advanced characterization techniques to confirm successful formation and investigate photocatalytic improvement origins. It was found that incorporating Ag NPs along with the PAni to ZnFe₂O₄ increases its absorption power and red-shifts its energy band gap, which increases the electron–hole production rate by exposure to light in ZnFe₂O₄. Contribution of the surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag NPs and conjugated double bonds of PAni to charge transfer mechanisms in Ag@ZnFe₂O₄–PAni material increased charge separation during photocatalytic process, boosting the photodegradation performance of ZnFe₂O₄.