Research Article 2026-04-22 under-review v1

Highly Efficient and Recyclable Fe3O4/TiO2/GO Nanocomposite for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation and Radioactive 137Cs Removal

H
Hanaa A. Alshammari Northern Border University
A
A. H. Korna Al-Baha University
S
Soad Fares Al-Baha University
B
Badriah Alshahrani king Khalid University
N
Nawaa Alshammari Northern Border University

Abstract

This study reports the successful synthesis and comprehensive characterization of a novel Fe3O4/TiO2/GO nanocomposite for advanced water remediation, integrating magnetic magnetite (Fe3O4) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles onto a graphene oxide (GO) scaffold. Structural and morphological analyses by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed a hierarchical architecture, preserving the highly crystalline anatase TiO2 and cubic spinel Fe3O4 phases with nanoparticles well-dispersed on wrinkled GO sheets. Successful chemical interactions were verified by Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), providing quantitative proof of the final elemental ratios. The nanocomposite's performance was evaluated through adsorption and photocatalytic experiments, demonstrating an exceptional removal efficiency of over 98% for Methylene Blue (MB). Under UV-Vis irradiation, the composite exhibited superior photocatalytic activity, with degradation kinetics described by a pseudo-first-order model utilizing a standard linear scale and a y-intercept to account for initial dark-phase adsorption effects. The apparent rate constant (kapp) for the composite was 0.0246 min− 1, approximately three times higher than pure TiO2 (0.0078 min− 1), which is attributed to the GO’s role as an electron sink that suppresses charge recombination. Furthermore, the material retained an efficiency of over 92% after four reuse cycles and achieved a final high removal efficiency exceeding 95% for the radioactive isotope 137Cs+, as quantified by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The synthesized Fe3O4/TiO2/GO nanocomposite is demonstrated to be a highly efficient, magnetically separable, and reusable material for the simultaneous removal of organic and radioactive pollutants.

Citation Information

@article{hanaaaalshammari2026,
  title={Highly Efficient and Recyclable Fe3O4/TiO2/GO Nanocomposite for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation and Radioactive 137Cs Removal},
  author={Hanaa A. Alshammari and A. H. Korna and Soad Fares and Badriah Alshahrani and Nawaa Alshammari},
  journal={Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Engineering},
  year={2026},
  doi={https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9315584/v1}
}
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