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 degrees 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%. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.