Sol-Gel auto-combustion, structural, photo-catalytic activity and UV-VIS study of Co1-xZnxFe2-yCeyO4 NPs (x = 0.3, y = 0.04)

Abstract

In this study, an attempt is made to explain the effect of trivalent cerium ion substitution on the structural properties of Co-Zn ferrite with the synthesis of Co1-xZnxFe2-yCeyO4 nanoparticles at the concentrations (x = 0.3, y = 0.04). The synthesis of nano- crystalline Co1-xZnxFe2-yCeyO4 was carried out via sol-gel auto-combustion technique using citric acid as a fuel with a nitrate-citrate ratio 1:3. X-ray diffraction studies of Co1-xZnxFe2-yCeyO4 nanoparticles were carried out to study the phase purity and Ce3+ ion loading effects on structural parameters. In the present scenario, XRD pattern revealed the presence of Bragg's reflections belongs to the cubic spinel structure. In some samples of Co-Zn ferrite, we report the creation of additional phases in due to the Ce3+ ion loading, which interns took control of the physical and chemical properties of typical samples. A noticeable decrease in value of lattice parameter (a) was reported with the loading of Ce3+ ion in a parent crystal structure suggesting the shrinkage in unit cell. The crystallite size (t) was estimated using Scherrer formula and found to be decreased as a result of Ce3+ ionic exchange. FTIR confirms the formation of spinel phase with two prominent high frequency band v1 and low frequency band v2 attributed to intrinsic vibrations of tetrahedral group (A-site) and octahedral groups [B-sites] of Co1-xZnxFe2-yCeyO4 nanoparticles. Ce3+ ion doped Co-Zn ferrite (with Ce3+ content = 0.04 per formula unit) may be a good candidate for the potential applications in high density recording media and memory devices applications. The photo-catalytic degradation was carried out using visible range light and methylene Blue dye for the efficiency measurements. The UV-Absorption studies were performed and reported in the wavelength range 200-400 nm to investigate the absorbance of methylene blue dye.