Synergistic enhanced photocatalytic performance of CoFe2O4/g-C3N4/rGO ternary nanocomposites for the efficient degradation of organic contaminants

CoFe₂O₄/g-C₃N₄/rGO nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by the hydrothermal process. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the resulting materials were comprehensively characterized and the photocatalytic performance was evaluated. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of a polycrystalline structure in the synthesized nanocomposites. FESEM and HRTEM analyses revealed nanoscale particles with well-defined morphology, confirming the successful formation of the ternary composite. Photocatalytic degradation experiments were conducted under light irradiation using Indigo Carmine (IC) and Methylene Blue (MB) dyes as model pollutants. The CoFe₂O₄/g-C₃N₄/rGO nanocomposite exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity, achieving degradation efficiencies of 96.99 % for IC and 95.98 % for MB. The corresponding reaction rate constant were calculated to be 0.0235 min⁻¹ for IC and 0.0255 min⁻¹ for MB, indicating the high degradation kinetics of the photocatalyst. The enhanced activity is attributed to effective charge separation and transfer across the heterojunction interfaces within the composite. Radical trapping experiments revealed that hydroxyl radicals (^•OH) played a dominant role in the degradation mechanism, while superoxide radicals (^•O₂⁻) and photogenerated holes (h⁺) also contributed significantly. The CoFe₂O₄/g-C₃N₄/rGO nanocomposites revealed significant bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus along with excellent photocatalytic performance for degrading organic pollutants in contaminated water, highlighting their promise for both environmental remediation and antimicrobial applications.