Properties of zirconium ferrite nanoparticles prepared by hydrothermal process

•Zirconium ferrite nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method at different calcination temperature (300 °C, 500 °C and 700 °C).•Optical properties revealed that band gap and urbach energy decreases with the increase in calcination temperature.•Degradation of RhB dye was observed as the catalytic activity of prepared nanoparticles under the exposure of visible light.