Eco-friendly green synthesis and characterization of novel Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/Cu₂O–Ag nanocomposites using Crataegus pentagyna fruit extract for photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants

In the present study, magnetically Fe₃O₄/SiO₂/Cu₂O–Ag (Fe/Si/Cu–Ag) nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic activity have been obtained through facile and rapid sonochemical method in presence of Crataegus pentagyna extract as a green capping agent and reducing agent, for the first time. The influences of the molar ratio of silver, capping agent and reducing agent have been optimized to obtain the best magnetic nanocomposites on morphology and size photocatalytic activity. The morphological, structural and optical properties of the as-prepared nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis. Application of the as-synthesized Fe/Si/Cu₂O–Ag nanocomposites as photocatalyst via decomposition of methylene blue and rhodamine b pollutant under visible light irradiation has been compared. Results demonstrated that Ag particles have remarkable effect on catalytic activity of Fe/Si/Cu₂O–Ag photocatalyst for degradation. Introducing of Cu₂O and Ag to magnetic catalyst (Fe₃O₄/SiO₂), degradation efficiency of Fe/Si/Cu₂O–Ag to methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine b (RhB) under visible light irradiation were increased.