Effects of Cobalt Salt Precursors on the Characteristics and photo-Fenton Catalytic Performance of Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles Synthesized by the Solvothermal Method

In this study, three cobalt salt precursors (nitrate, chloride, and sulfate) were used to synthesize magnetic cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (CoFe2O4, CFO NPs) via a solvothermal method. The research revealed that choosing precursors could aid in regulating the crystalline structure, particle size, surface area, and magnetism of our CFO powders, which strongly affect their photo-Fenton catalytic performance. Accordingly, the CFO sample prepared using sulfate precursors shows the lowest particle size (146.5 +/- 27.9 nm), the largest surface area (96.469 m2/g), and the best magnetism (Ms = 76 emu/g). As a result, this sample exhibits the best photo-Fenton catalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue under UVA irradiation (efficiency of 92.3% after 30 min and rate constant of 5.25 +/- 0.22 h-1). Furthermore, it had good reusability after five cycles, making it promising for practical applications in the remediation of textile dye effluent.