Preparation and characterization of multi-functional CoFe2O4–ZnO nanocomposites

Multi-functional magnetic, photoluminescent and photocatalytic CoFe2O4–ZnO nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by a collosol method. The average diameter of the prepared CoFe2O4–ZnO nanocomposites was 30±5 nm, and a diffusion layer was formed to link CoFe2O4 and ZnO. The saturation magnetization of the CoFe2O4–ZnO nanocomposites was 8.99 emu/g. Generation of ZnO from Zn(OH)2 collosol was nearly complete after thermal decomposition at about 380 °C. A photoluminescence emission peak was observed at 443 nm when excitated at 350 nm. Degradation of methyl orange is performed by CoFe2O4–ZnO nanocomposites under ultraviolet radiation, with a degradation rate of up to 93.9%.