The enhanced properties in photocatalytic wastewater treatment: Sulfanilamide (SAM) photodegradation and Cr6+ photoreduction on magnetic Ag/ZnFe2O4 nanoarchitectures

Highlights: • Ag/ZnFe₂O₄ nanoarchitectures were fabricated by hydrothermal method composed of ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles and Ag nanowires. • The Ag/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposites possessed excellent performance in SAM photodegradation and Cr⁶⁺ photoreduction. • ·O₂^- played important roles in the photocatalytic process and had been convinced by capturing experiment and ESR analysis. • The Schottky barriers between Ag and ZnFe₂O₄ could contribute to the effective charge transfer. -- Abstract: Ag/ZnFe₂O₄ nanoarchitectures composed of ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles loading onto Ag nanowires were fabricated by hydrothermal method. The Ag/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposites possessed excellent performance in simulated photocatalytic wastewater treatment like sulfanilamide (SAM) photodegradation and Cr⁶⁺ photoreduction. The improvement of photoactivity could be ascribed to the successful formation of Schottky interface between ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles and Ag nanowires and the enhanced light absorption ability in visible light region with modified energy band structures, which make further efforts to the ameliorate separation and improved mobility of photo-induced charge carriers with enhanced performance in photocatalysis. The Ag/ZnFe₂O₄ nanocomposites exhibited outstanding photoactivity than single component and more importantly, the unique magnetic properties enabled the Ag/ZnFe₂O₄ photocatalysts to be recycled easily with the aid of external magnetic field, which make it possible for practical applications.