Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye by Promising Zinc Copper Ferrite Nanoparticles for Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

Abstract In this work, crystalline copper-zinc ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple co-precipitation method. Morphological characterization of produced samples was done using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). A transmission electron microscope (TEM) was utilised for further identification and confirmation of the particle morphology and size. Moreover, Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed to examine crystalline structure, chemical structure, and surface area respectively. Optical properties were examined by UV–Vis spectroscopy. The results indicate that the Zn 0.5 Cu 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 nanoparticles’ crystallite size was 28.5 nm. The experiments focused on the impact of various factors, such as pH levels, initial MB concentration, and nanocatalyst dosage, on the observed photocatalytic efficiency. The photocatalytic performance of Zn 0.5 Cu 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 nanoparticles under UV light was evaluated by decolorization of Methylene Blue (MB) azo dye. Photocatalysis degradation of 10 ppm of MB adding 15 mg of Zn 0.5 Cu 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 nanoparticles was 94% after 135 min at room temperature and pH value of 9. Further interpretation was carried out and a proposed mechanism for the MB photodegradation by Zn 0.5 Cu 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 nanoparticles was suggested.