Structural, magnetic, dielectric, and photocatalytic properties of ZnO/MgFe2O4 nanocomposite for low-frequency electronic and sustainable water treatment applications

Abstract

Multifunctional nanocomposite materials have gained a lot of importance for addressing emerging issues, facing a diverse range of science and technological fields. Herein, we report a simple method for the synthesis of ZnO/MgFe₂O₄ nanocomposite (NC) and a systematic characterization of the product in this study. A structurally robust hybrid system consisting of ZnO and MgFe₂O₄ leads to interfacial synergy between the individual components, leading to enhanced overall performance from the blended material. An in-depth analysis was conducted to study the synthesized nanocomposite's structural, morphological, magnetic, dielectric, and photoelectric properties. The impedance analysis indicates that the electrical transport in ZnO/MgFe₂O₄ NC is primarily dominated by MgFe₂O₄, with ZnO having a negligible impact on charge conduction, resulting in comparable resistive behavior. The photocatalytic activity of the ZnO/MgFe₂O₄ was evaluated using methylene blue (MB) as the model pollutant under natural sunlight. The results showed a removal efficiency of 99.16%, which was significantly higher than pure MgFe₂O₄ and ZnO nanoparticles. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was correlated with higher photocurrent generation, better charge isolation ability, and lower charge transfer resistance of the NC. This shows the remarkable potential of ZnO/MgFe₂O₄ NC photocatalyst for sustainable degradation of dyes from water.