SinoXivExperimental and Computational Investigation of Structural, Optical, Magnetic and Photocatalytic Properties of Zn Doped NiFe2O4 Nanoparticles
Abstract
Zn-doped NiFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple co-precipitation method to investigate the effects of Zn incorporation on the structural, optical, and magnetic and photocatalytic properties of nickel ferrite. Zn-doped NiFe2O4 nanoparticles retain the cubical spinal structure but exhibit the lattice expansion, reduced optical band gap and decreased magnetization, as confirmed experimentally and supported by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under solar irradiation revealed that 2% Zn-doped NiFe2O4 achieved optimal performance, degrading 92% of MB within 150 minutes. This enhancement is attributed to the higher adsorption of MB dye, improved visible-light absorption, suppressed energy band gap, and band gap modification by the incorporation of Zn in NiFe2O4 nanostructures. These findings identify 2% Zn-doped NiFe2O4 as an efficient and sustainable material for visible-light-driven wastewater remediation.
Citation Information
@article{anamnaseeb2026,
title={Experimental and Computational Investigation of Structural, Optical, Magnetic and Photocatalytic Properties of Zn Doped NiFe2O4 Nanoparticles},
author={Anam Naseeb and Arslan Bashir and Sohail Azmat and Ejaz Muhammad and Ali Raza and Tariq Jan and Altaf Ur Rahman and Agueda Maria Turatti},
journal={Research Square},
year={2026},
doi={https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9338551/v1}
}
