A novel synthesis route to obtain magnetic nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite with photo-Fenton activity
Abstract: A novel unconventional coprecipitation procedure (UCP) followed by a simple and fast microwave-assisted hydrothermal (MAH) treatment was used to synthesize a new nanocrystalline magnetic cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4/MAH) with photo-Fenton activity. The Co-ferrite nanoparticles were obtained at room temperature in the absence of surfactants and their photo-Fenton activity was evaluated through lignin degradation. It was found that microwave hydrothermal treatment is mandatory to obtain magnetic and photoactive Co-ferrite. According to XRD Rietveld refinements and FTIR, the photoactivity was mainly attributed to the Co2+ cation migration from octahedral to tetrahedral sites in the ferrite structure during the MAH treatment, leading, consequently, to a higher Fe3+ incorporation at octahedral sites, which strongly participate in the photo-Fenton degradation mechanism. The magnetic property of the CoFe2O4/MAH ferrite nanoparticles was confirmed by magnetometry and provided an easy catalyst separation.
Author(s): Souza, BG; Figueira, G; Carvalho, MH; Alcaraz-Gonzalez, V; Saldaña-Flores, KE; Jr., MG; Oliveira, AJA; Kiminami, RHGA; Ruotolo, LAM; Urquieta-González, EA
Materials Chemistry and Physics
Published: 1 January 2021, Volume 257