Effective dye removal and water purification using the electric and magnetic Zn0.5Co0.5Al0.5Fe1.46La0.04O4/polymer core–shell nanocomposites

• Zn0.5Co0.5Al0.5Fe1.46La0.04O4 nanoparticles were synthesized using flash method.
• Core-shell magnetic materials were obtained using four polymers as capping agents.
• Polymers enhanced the physical properties of ferrite samples.
• All core-shell nanocomposites purified inked water with high efficiency.
• Such materials are promising candidates in recycling of industrial waste water.

Flash auto combustion method was successfully used to synthesize nanoparticles of Zn0.5Co0.5Al0.5Fe1.46La0.04O4. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) specified the formation of granular nanospheres beside an intermediated phase of nanowires. Polymer-blended magnetic materials were obtained using poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) as capping agents. This coating strategy controls the agglomeration of ferrite nanoparticles, and produces a well-designed core–shell nano-assembly with enhanced physical properties. XRD and HRTEM confirmed the formation of ferrite as a core surrounded by various polymeric shells. The nanocomposite with PVP shell resulted in increased ac conductivity (σ) of about four orders of magnitude higher than that recorded for the pure ferrite. Curie temperature (TC) decreased from 703 K as recorded for the pure ferrite to less than 440 K for the core–shell nanocomposites containing PVA and PVAc. All prepared samples succeeded in purifying inked-water with high efficiency. Zn0.5Co0.5Al0.5Fe1.46La0.04O4 up-took 76% of the dye content, while the dye-removal efficiency was increased to 90% when Zn0.5Co0.5Al0.5Fe1.46La0.04O4/PVP core–shell nanocomposite was applied. These novel results indicate that such series of core–shell nanocomposites are promising candidates in industrial applications such as purifying and recycling of industrial waste water. Moreover, this study emphasized that polymers are good additive to ferrites when blended in the form of core–shell nanocomposite structure.