Synthesis and Characterization of Fe3O4-Ag Composite Nanoparticles for Oil–Water Separation

Synthesis of Fe3O4-Ag nanoparticles (NPs) was implemented via utilizing the method of coprecipitation for synthesizing the Fe3O4 nanoparticles, and reducing silver nitrate (AgNO3) to Ag nanoparticles, and impregnating the Ag NPs into the Fe3O4 NPs. The synthesized composite material was characterized using zeta potential, FT-IR, XRD, the contact angle, and the particles size distribution analysis. The results showed that the Ag NPs were attached to the Fe3O4, and that the composite nanoparticles have positive charge, and exhibit hydrophilic behavior. Such properties make these materials a great candidate for oil–water separation-related applications. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.