Enhanced photocatalytic performance of CdFe₂O₄/Al₂O₃ nanocomposite for dye degradation

In the present work, CdFe₂O₄/Al₂O₃ magnetic nanocomposite photocatalyst is successfully synthesized by simple sol-gel auto-combustion method. The role of this sample is studied as a photocatalyst. The influence of Al₂O₃ concentration with CdFe₂O₄ on the photocatalytic property is also studied. We have considered three weight percentage of Al₂O₃, 5%, 10%, and 20% with CdFe₂O₄. All the samples are characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with selected area electron diffraction (SAED), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), UV-Visible, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy techniques. The 10% composite sample showed the lower particle size, higher surface area, enhanced porosity, higher saturation magnetization, and considerable band gap as compared to that of 5% and 20% CdFe₂O₄/Al₂O₃ as well as bare CdFe₂O₄ nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of the sample is evaluated towards the degradation of the xylenol orange (XO) dye under UV light. The degradation process of the dye is monitored spectrophotometrically. The performance in terms of removal efficiency is studied by varying the contact time, dye concentration and amount of catalyst. Among the three concentrations of Al₂O₃, the 10% weight concentration of Al₂O₃ with CdFe₂O₄ is found to be the optimal concentration and showed the higher degradation rate. After 30 min photocatalytic reaction, the degradation rate is 92.29% for 10% CdFe₂O₄/Al₂O₃ and for bare CdFe₂O₄, it is 85.79%. This work provides a new reference for designing Al₂O₃-based spinel ferrite nanocomposites and their role in wastewater management.