Magnetic Pd@Fe 3 O 4 composite nanostructure as recoverable catalyst for sonoelectrohybrid degradation of Ibuprofen.

In the present research, the degradation of an emerging pharmaceutical micro-pollutant, Ibuprofen (IBP) by using Pd@Fe3 O4 and a hybrid sono-electrolytical (US/EC) treatment system has been demonstrated for the first time. The magnetically separable nanocomposite, Pd@Fe3 O4 catalyst was synthesized following co-precipitation method to enhance the efficiency of US/EC system. The synthesized catalyst showed a strong reusable property even after applying for five times and in all the five cases, 100% degradation of IBP was maintained. It not only enhanced the IBP degradation rate, but also reduced the energy consumption of the system by ∼35%. Its strong magnetization value of 64.27emug-1 made it easily separable. Hence, a comprehensive knowledge on the application of combined energy based US/EC system and magnetically separable multifunctional catalysts for degradation of intractable pollutants like Ibuprofen was achieved, assuring that US/EC can be an effective option for IBP treatment.