An experimental investigation into malachite green degradation using highly active NiFe

In this study, a highly efficient NiFe2O4/Bi4O5I2 (NFO/BOI) photocatalyst has been successfully synthesized through the two-step hydrothermal method. Various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), and Mott-Schottky (M-S) analysis were employed to scrutinize the physical, chemical, optical, and electrical characteristics of the as-synthesized photocatalyst. The photocatalytic performance of NFO/BOI was assessed through the degradation of malachite green (MG). The findings revealed that both the weight percent of NiFe2O4 loaded and catalyst loading significantly influenced the degradation efficiency of NFO/BOI on MG. Under 1 hour of visible light irradiation, MG achieved an impressive removal rate of 95.04% using NFO/BOI as the catalyst. Radical trapping experiment confirmed that superoxide anion radical plays a pivotal role in the MG degradation progress. This work introduces a novel direction for designing efficient catalysts for the treatment of water pollution using visible light.