Synthesis and magneto-optical studies of novel Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4/ Zn0.95Co0.05O nanocomposite as a candidate for photocatalytic applications

Abstract

The preparation and characterization of novel nanocomposites (NCs) (1-x)Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 /(x)Zn 0.95 Co 0.05 O, where x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5, is presented in the current investigation. The synthesis of NCs with high purity and crystallinity was confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) measurements. Furthermore, the morphology of the NCs was examined using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) analysis. The synthesis of well-dispersed spherical nanoparticles with a size range of 27–34 nm was confirmed. The investigation of the optical properties, by using UV–vis and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies, has shown a dependence of the energy bandgap and the PL intensity on the amount of Zn 0.95 Co 0.05 O. Additionally, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to investigate the elemental composition and oxidation states of the elements forming the nanocomposites. Furthermore, M − H loop studies have shown that all NCs possess a soft ferromagnetic behavior with a single magnetic phase. The saturation magnetization was found to decrease with x. Several magnetic parameters including the retentivity, coercivity, magneton number, and anisotropy field are determined and discussed in correlation with the structural and optical properties. This magneto-optical investigation suggests the utilization of (1-x)Ni 0.5 Zn 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 /(x)Zn 0.95 Co 0.05 O NCs as a possible candidate for photocatalytic applications.