Synthesis of graphene-based Ag-doped CuFe2O4 composite for improved photocatalytic activity against industrial effluents.

Copper ferrite (CuFe₂O₄, CF) and silver-doped copper ferrite (Ag-CuFe₂O₄, ACF) were prepared via co-precipitation method. While nano-composite of ACF with rGO was prepared by ultra-sonication approach. Degradation of crystal violet (CV) and benzoic acid (BA) by CF, ACF, and ACF@rGO was conducted under sunlight. Because of tremendous stability and immense surface area of rGO, it shows good ability to transfer electrons during photocatalysis.Band gap for CF and ACF were tuned having values 1.36 and 1.67 eV. Ag-CuFe₂O₄@rGO has exhibited greater photo-catalytic activity than a bare and doped sample. 82.7% and 48.4% were degradation % of CV and BA by Ag-CuFe₂O₄@rGO respectively. Ag-CuFe₂O₄@rGO showed 1.3 times higher efficiency than bare CuFe₂O₄. ACF was sonicated with rGO and composite was formed which was not reported before and I was the novelty of this paper. The photodegradation ability and cyclic stability etc. was increased after the formation of composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]