Ni-doped Mg-Zn nano-ferrites: Fabrication, characterization, and visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of model textile dyes
Arun V. Bagade, Sangita N. Pund, Pratik A. Nagwade, Brajesh Kumar, Satish U. Deshmukh, Anant B. Kanagare
Abstract
Novel Ni2+-doped NixMg0.5Zn0.5-xFe2O4 [x = 0.0 to 0.5] nano-ferrites have been successfully prepared by the facile co-precipitation method. The XRD data demonstrated the formation of a single-phase cubic spinel structure. The optical band gap of the synthesized samples was found to increase with increasing Ni2+ content from 1.72 eV (x = 0.1) to 1.82 eV (x = 0.5). Samples with Ni2+ doping exhibit a transition from superparamagnetic to soft ferromagnetic activity. Ni0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4 catalyst has been found to have enhanced degrading efficiencies of 95.92 and 90.21% against methylene blue and xylenol orange in visible light, respectively. The main reactive species, as determined by scavenging activity, were hydroxyl radicals.