Synthesis of nanocrystalline ZnFe2O4 by polymerized complex method for its visible light photocatalytic application: An efficient photo-oxidant

Abstract

Nanocrystalline ZnFe2O4 oxide-semiconductor with spinel structure was synthesized by the polymerized complex (PC) method and investigated for its photocatalytic and photoelectric properties. The observation of a highly pure phase and a lower crystallization temperature in ZnFe2O4 made by PC method is in total contrast to that was observed in ZnFe2O4 prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction (SSR) method. The band gap of the nanocrystalline ZnFe2O4 determined by UV-DRS was 1.90 eV (653 nm). The photocatalytic activity of ZnFe2O4 prepared by PC method as investigated by the photo-decomposition of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) under visible light (≥ 420 nm) was much higher than that of the ZnFe2O4 prepared by SSR as well as TiO2-xNx. High photocatalytic activity of ZnFe2O4 prepared by PC method was mainly due to its surface area, crystallinity and the dispersity of platinum metal over ZnFe2O4.