Advanced nanocomposite catalysts for waste management: Fe₃O₄-doped ZnO for dye degradation

This study investigates the synthesis and characterization of Fe 3 O 4 /ZnO nanocomposites via pulsed laser ablation (PLAL) in liquid media, focusing on their structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were initially synthesized by ablating a zinc target in distilled water, followed by embedding with Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles through subsequent ablation of an iron target in the ZnO colloidal solution. X-ray diffraction showed the successful formation of a nanocomposite structure, revealing enhanced crystallinity and lattice parameters influenced by Fe 3 O 4 doping. Optical studies demonstrated a redshift in the bandgap energy and increased Urbach energy, indicating modifications in electronic structure and surface defects due to doping. Photocatalytic degradation experiments using methyl orange (MO) dye under UV irradiation showed that the Fe 3 O 4 /ZnO nanocomposite exhibited superior photocatalytic efficiency (88.1%) compared to pure ZnO (77.7%) and Fe 3 O 4 (60.2%), attributed to improved charge carrier separation and light absorption. These findings highlight the potential of Fe 3 O 4 /ZnO nanocomposites for environmental remediation applications.