Facile synthesis of multifunctional ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles in liquid polyols

Monodisperse water-soluble ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles with the particle size of 6.3 nm and band gap of 2.04 eV were synthesized by a simple and inexpensive method based on a polyols method. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis absorption spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, fluorescence spectrometer, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and physical properties measurement system (PPMS). The ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles display photoluminescence and exhibit excellent superparamagnetic properties at room temperature. Photocatalytic activity studies confirm the as-synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles have photoactive property towards the photodegradeation of methyl orange in the aqueous solution. The photodecomposition rate of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles maintains the high value for the second time by retrieving the catalyst using the magnet. Thus, the multifunctional ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can be not only used in the biological application, but also served as recyclable photocatalysts.