Sol-gel synthesized magnetic MnFe2O4 spinel ferrite nanoparticles as novel catalyst for oxidative degradation of methyl orange

Abstract

The MnFe2O4 spinel ferrite nanoparticles with sensitive magnetic response properties and high specific surface area were prepared from metal nitrates by the sol-gel process as catalysts for oxidative degradation of methyl orange (MO). The nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), BET surface area analysis, H2-Temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), and vibration sample magnetometer (VSM). The catalytic activity experimental results showed that the MnFe2O 4 spinel ferrite nanoparticles possess very high MO degradation activity. It is expected that this kind of MnFe2O4 spinel ferrite nanoparticles has a potential application in water treatment fields due to its sensitive magnetic response properties and high catalytic activity. © 2013 Linfeng Zhang and Yuanxin Wu.