Hydrothermal Assisted Synthesis of ZnFe₂O₄ Embedded g-C₃N₄ Nanocomposite with Enhanced Charge Transfer Ability for Effective Removal of Nitrobenzene and Cr(VI)

A novel hybrid nanocomposite of g-C₃N₄/ZnFe₂O₄ was successfully prepared by a facile hydrothermal method followed by an annealing process. The obtain hybrid catalyst was systematically characterized by XRD, TEM, HRTEM, FT-IR, UV-DRS and XPS analysis in order to study the structural, morphological, optical properties and chemical states. The cubic phase ZnFe₂O₄ crystalline structure and spherical morphology with sizes in the range of 30–35 nm were adequately anchored on the g-C₃N₄ sheets. The HR-TEM image suggests the successful embedment of ZnFe₂O₄ nanostructures on g-C₃N₄ sheets. The photocatalytic activity of the catalyst was investigated using nitrobenzene (NB) and Cr (VI) under visible light. The improved activity of ZnFe₂O₄/ g-C₃N₄ is due to the synergetic effect of superior visible-light utilization and effective charge carrier separation between g-C₃N₄ and ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles. Hence, this heterostructure could be used as a favorable applicant for environmental remediation application for the removal of organic pollutants and metal ions in practical application.