STRUCTURAL, MAGNETIC AND PHOTOCATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF FERRITE CoCe0.3Fe1.7O4

Abstract

In recent years, spinel ferrites have attracted significant research interest due to the uniqueness of their physical and chemical properties, which determines their use in many application areas. In particular, cobalt ferrites have many specific properties, such as high specific surface area, antimicrobial and photocatalytic activity, and pronounced magnetic properties. This study aims to obtain CoCe0.3Fe1.7O4 ferrite by hydrothermal treatment in a high-pressure reactor and determine the nanoparticle’s structure, morphology, and magnetic and photocatalytic properties. The morphology and elemental composition of the samples were studied using a JSM-6390LV scanning electron microscope and an AZtecEnergy X-maxN50 energy-dispersive spectrometer. The magnetic properties of doped cobalt ferrite nanopowders were studied using the vibrational magnetometry method. It was found that the obtained nanoparticles of CoCe0.3Fe1.7O4 composites have a complex phase composition. There are quite intense broadened peaks of cobalt ferrite with spinel structure and indistinct peaks corresponding to metallic iron. The average particle size, estimated by scanning electron microscopy, is ~400–500 Å, which coincides with the calculated values of crystallite size obtained from X-ray phase analysis data. The crystallite size, determined by different methods, was L311 = 358 Å, L440 = 484 Å, and L = 446 Å. The value of saturation magnetization, determined from the hysteresis loop, is 143 Emu/g. The value of coercive force is about 380 Oe. Using complete factor analysis, isolines of the degree of destruction of methylene blue were constructed. It was found that CoCe0.3Fe1.7O4 exhibits significant photocatalytic properties in the MS destruction reaction. The maximum degree of destruction is 99 %. The main influencing factors are the photocatalyst’s mass and the treatment duration.