LAUSR

Abstract A novel magnetically separable cysteine-modified graphene oxide@Nickel ferrite @Titanium dioxide (GO-Cys@NiFe2O4@TiO2) composite was fabricated for the effective removal and subsequent photodegradation of the pesticide, chlorpyrifos (CP) from aqueous solutions. The composite material was characterized by DRS, FTIR, Surface Area Analyser, EDAX, SEM, TEM, PL, CV, VSM, EIS, XPS and XRD. The photocatalytic performance of GO-Cys@NiFe2O4@TiO2 composite was assessed by the degradation of CP under visible light irradiation. The bandgap of the photocatalyst was found to be 2.8 eV. The maximum adsorption occurs at pH 3.0. The photocatalytic degradation of CP was found to follow second-order kinetics and the optimum pH for degradation was found to be 7.0. The regeneration of the adsorbent and photocatalyst was also examined up to five cycles that confirmed the relative stability of the photocatalyst. The magnetic property of the photocatalyst was utilized, and it was separated from the solution by an external magnet. The recyclable and eco-friendly properties of the composite could be economically significant in the industry.