Development of Fe3O4-SiO2 supported Cu nanocomposite as enhanced photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue dye
Kamrul HASAN, Iman Mahmoud IBRAHIM, Mohamed El-NAGGAR, Ihsan A SHEHADI, Monther A KHANNFAR, Raed A Al-QAWASMEH
Abstract. Synthetic dyes in wastewater pose serious environmental and health hazards, with methylene blue (MB) being particularly problematic due to its chemical stability and resistance to degradation. Here, we present a multifunctional photocatalyst, Fe3O4@SiO₂@LPyrl-imi@Cu(I), engineered to couple catalytic efficiency with magnetic recyclability. The Fe3O4 core was coated with SiO2 following further functionalization with pyridylimine ligands (LPyrl-imi) which act as anchoring groups for Cu(I), creating robust catalytic centers that enhance charge transfer and light-driven activity. State-of-the-art characterization confirm the structural and surface analyses of uniform Cu(I) dispersion and stable core–shell architecture. Under irradiation, the nanocomposite achieved rapid MB degradation with high efficiency (95% degradation) and significantly outperformed the individual components. The catalyst also maintained activity across multiple cycles, demonstrating strong stability and reusability. These findings suggest that Fe3O4@SiO₂@LPyrl-imi@Cu(I) offers a sustainable and effective route for dye remediation, highlighting the potential of stepwise functionalization in advanced wastewater treatment.
Keywords
Magnetic-Fe3O4, Cu-Nanocomposite, Photocatalyst, MB Dye, Pollutants, Degradation
Published online 6/20/2026, 8 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Kamrul HASAN, Iman Mahmoud IBRAHIM, Mohamed El-NAGGAR, Ihsan A SHEHADI, Monther A KHANNFAR, Raed A Al-QAWASMEH, Development of Fe3O4-SiO2 supported Cu nanocomposite as enhanced photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue dye, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 361-368, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-49
The article was published as article 49 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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