Photocatalytic study of nanoferrites elaborated by sol-gel process for environmental applications

ZnFe₂O₄ powders and thin films are successfully synthetized using sol-gel transition based on hydrolysis-polycondensation of zinc and iron alkoxides. The structure and morphology of ZnFe₂O₄ samples were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The photocatalytic properties of the obtained ZnFe₂O₄ samples were investigated to determine their visible light induced degradation of the dye Orange G (OG). The results show that the photoctalytic activity of synthesized ZnFe₂O₄ depends on the heat treatment temperature, which is probably attributed to the multiple synergetic factors that stem from their low band gap, morphology, crystallinity, purity, and reasonable pores sizes.