Photocatalytic and magnetic properties of Mg substituted cobalt ferrite

Single-phase magnesium doped cobalt ferrites have been synthesized by the sol-gel combustion technique. The structural investigations of Co1_xMgxFe2O4 (x = 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75) confirm the single-phase cubic spinel structure with an average crystallite size of 38.96, 34.62, and 32.94 nm, respectively. Cubic morphology is observed by the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The direct bandgap energy values are calculated by Tauc's plot and it reveals the increase in bandgap values from 1.35 to 1.46 eV with Mg substitution. The thermal stability showed residue of 97.14 %, 95 %, and 96.95 % for x = 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75, respectively. The magnetic behavior of the samples exhibited a decrease in saturation magnetization (Ms) from 62.88 to 51.1 emu/ g to 51.1 emu/g with Mg substitution. The photocatalytic study has been carried out with methylene blue dye and exhibits higher efficiency up to 84.5 % of degradation. The synthesized nanoferrite can be an ideal candidate for magnetic storage applications and an efficient photocatalyst.