Preparation of a Fe3O4–Au–GO nanocomposite for simultaneous treatment of oil/water separation and dye decomposition

Abstract

A nanocomposite capable of simultaneously controlling multiple water pollutants (soluble organic dye and insoluble chemical solvent) has been obtained. The Au and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) were modified on a graphene oxide (GO) surface via light reduction and covalent attachment. The obtained Fe₃O₄–Au–GO nanocomposite has magnetic driving ability and catalytic applications. The nanocomposite can form emulsions after wrapping an insoluble and volatile organic solvent inside; moreover, the multi-layer graphene shell structure may delay volatilization of the solvent, ensuring that the oil droplets are collected efficiently and completely by the Fe₃O₄–Au–GO nanocomposite. At the same time, the Au NPs on the surface of the composite can effectively catalyze the decomposition of an organic dye in water and the recovery of the nanocomposite catalyst can also be realized using an external magnetic field. The simultaneous treatment of non-soluble oil (organic solvents) and organic dyes in water can be realized by the Fe₃O₄–Au–GO nanocomposite. Therefore, based on surface modification of GO, one material with two types of water pollution treatment functions was realized. This provides a new way for the simultaneous treatment of oil separation and dye decomposition, and the assembled structure may result in emulsions to give new applications in fuel cells and other fields.