The magnetic and photocatalytic properties of nanocomposites SrFe12O19/ZnFe2O4

Abstract

Magnetic composites SrFe12O19/ZnFe2O4 were successfully synthesized by one-pot coprecipitation method. The as-prepared samples with different molar ratio of SrFe12O19 to ZnFe2O4 were characterized and analysed. XRD and SEM results show that the composites are highly crystalline with few impurities. Raman spectrum confirms the interactions between two phases in the composites. UV–vis spectra and photoluminescence spectra show the optical property of the samples. The magnetic properties analysis reveals that the coercivity of composites decrease evidently with the increase of the ZnFe2O4 phase. Furthermore, photocatalytic performance of the samples were investigated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The maximum degradation ratio of MB with Sample-A was 90%. The recycling tests confirm that the photocatalytic activity was above 50% after three cycles. These all prove that the composite SrFe12O19 and ZnFe2O4 not only improve the magnetic and photocatalytic properties, but also effectively avoid secondary pollution of treated water.