Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance of Zinc Ferrite Nanocomposites for Degrading Methylene Blue: Effect of Nickel Doping Concentration

In the present work, undoped and nickel doped zinc ferrite (ZnFe2-xNixO4) nano-composites were synthesized using a facile auto-combustion method using glycine as fuel. Effects of Ni dopant concentration and annealing process on structural and morphological properties were investigated by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). The formation of cubic spinel ferrites is confirmed by XRD analysis while asserting particles with a size range of 55-58 nm. Analysis of Raman spectra showed a transition of normal to inverse spinel-type with the increase in Ni content. Photocatalytic studies of as-synthesized nanoparticles using methylene blue (MB) demonstrated a strong correlation between photocatalytic efficiency and Ni doping. Ni-doped zinc-ferrites exhibited 98% photocatalytic efficiency at an optimum Ni doping concentration of 30%. As-synthesized ferrites have the potential to be used as an efficient, reusable, and magnetically removable photocatalyst system for removing organic pollutants.