| Enhanced photocatalytic activity of CuxNi1−xFe2O4-rGO composite |
| Philips O. Agboola1, Imran Shakir2 |
1College of Engineering Al-Muzahmia Branch, King Saud University, P.O. Box: 800, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA |
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Received: January 25, 2022; Revised: March 29, 2022 Accepted: April 4, 2022. Published online: April 27, 2022. |
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| ABSTRACT |
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Here in this article, we reported the effect of divalent metal cations Cu 2+ on photocatalytic properties of spinel nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4). Copper substituted, and unsubstituted nickel ferrite particles were prepared by a wet chemical route. X-ray diff raction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the successful formation of Cu-NiFe2O4 and their composite with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The rGO was used as conducting matrix as well as to enhance the catalytic sites on the surface of copper substituted nickel ferrites. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to confirm the preparation of Cu-NiFe2O4/rGO nanocomposite. The enhanced surface area of the prepared nanocomposite showed a drastic increase in their photocatalytic property. It was observed that photocatalytic activity of nickel NiFe2O4 was enhanced up to about 30% when the crystal lattice of pure nickel ferrite was substituted by divalent copper metal ions. The Cu-NiFe2O4/rGO nanocomposite exhibited much higher degradation efficiency as compared to bare NiFe2O4. The photocatalytic activity of prepared copper substituted nickel ferrite, and their nanocomposite with reduced graphene oxide was further confirmed by electrochemical measurements. These included the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, photocurrent response, and Mott–Schottky measurements. |
| Key words:
Nanoparticles · Ferrites · Photocatalyst · Solar light · rGO · Composite |
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