Effect of calcination temperature on the structural and photocatalytic properties of iron(II)-doped copper ferrite CuII0.4FeII0.6FeIII2O4

Abstract

This letter reports the effect of calcination temperature on the structural, morphological, and photocatalytic properties of powdered iron(II)-doped copper ferrites (CuII0.4FeII0.6FeIII2O4). CuII0.4FeII0.6FeIII2O4 ferrite was prepared by a simple precipitation method applying sequential increments in the calcination temperature, i.e., 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, and 550 °C, keeping other conditions constant. The prepared materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, and EDS techniques, and their photocatalytic activity was studied by the degradation of methylene blue in a visible-light-driven photo-Fenton system. XRD patterns revealed that the increase in calcination temperature resulted in the appearance of sharp peaks with the formation of separated phases of hematite and tenorite, which were also confirmed by EDS investigation. The needle-like morphologies of the materials appeared as the calcination temperature increased above 300 °C. The degradation of methylene blue followed pseudo-first-order kinetics.