Fe₃O₄@P(DVB/MAA)/Pd composite microspheres: Preparation and catalytic degradation performance

Fe₃O₄@P(DVB/MAA)/Pd composite microspheres were synthesized with a combination of coating and loading processes using Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles as a core. A series of characterizations revealed that a combination of Fe₃O₄ coated with a thin polymer shell and deposited Pd nanoparticles was successful. The saturation magnetization of Fe₃O₄@P(DVB/MAA)/Pd was 55.2 emu g^-1 and the Pd content was 21.3%. Degradation activity studies confirmed that the as-obtained microspheres showed excellent degradation behavior towards RhB. The degradation efficiency of the Fe₃O₄@P(DVB/MAA)/Pd microspheres for rhodamine B (RhB) can reach 99.6% within 90 s. The regenerated catalyst still showed a catalytic degradation percentage of 98% after being used fifteen times. Meanwhile, the obtained catalyst also displayed degradation ability for other organic dyes. Using Fe₃O₄@P(DVB/MAA)/Pd microspheres is a very promising approach for the remediation of wastewater containing organic dyes due to the fast degradation rate, high degradation efficiency and excellent reusability.