Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic properties of spinel CuAl2O4 nanoparticles by a sonochemical method

Spinel copper aluminate (CuAl2O4) nanoparticles were synthesized with the aid of sonication by a precursor approach. The precursors were prepared by sonicating an aqueous solution of copper nitrate, aluminium nitrate, and urea. Upon heating at 900 degrees C for 6 h, the precursor formed nanosized CuAl2O4 particles with an average size of 17 nm and with a surface area of about 110 m(2) g(-1). The nanosized copper aluminate particles as well as the precursors were characterized by elemental analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image with electron diffraction pattern, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), Fourier transform of infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurements. The photocatalytic degradation was investigated using methyl orange under the irradiation of Hg lamp (lambda > 400 nm). The resulting degradation rates of the methyl orange were measured to be as high as 98% in 2 h. Crown Copyright (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.