Investigation of Visible Light Driven Photocatalytic Activity of Mn Doped CuFe2O4 Nanoparticles

Microwave combustion method (MCM) was utilized to synthesize nanoparticles of Mn- Mn doped CuFe2O4 (Mn: CuFe2O4). The crystallite size ranged from 19 to 22 nm, determined from the XRD studies of Mn: CuFe2O4 nanoparticles employing the Debye Scherrer formula. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was employed to determine the chemical elements and their respective oxidation states. The agglomerative nanoparticles exhibited a spherical shape as observed through HR-SEM. The elemental composition of the nanoparticles was determined through EDX analysis, which indicated the presence of Mn, Cu, Fe, and O. The sample completely analyzed by TEM SAED, EPR and BET. The samples produced were analyzed using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, which revealed energy gap values ranging from 2.10 to 2.30 eV. The observed photoluminescence emissions in the visible range of 415–450 nm in all samples suggest the presence of oxygen vacancies. Magnetic properties viz. remanent magnetization, coercivity, and saturation magnetization deduced from the hysteresis curves (B-H). Further nanoparticles that were synthesized were subjected to photocatalytic degradation (PCD) of rhodamine B under visible light. The spinel system of CuFe2O4 exhibits reactivity towards H2O2, leading to a process akin to the Fenton reaction. The chemical components of RhB dye confirmed by Total ion chromatography. The photocatalytic performance of the CMF5 sample is superior when compared to the other samples. The possible mechanisms amenable to the PCD method are elaborated.