Magnetic PbFe12O19-TiO2 nanocomposites and their photocatalytic performance in the removal of toxic pollutants

Abstract

Abstract In this work, the PbFe12O19 nanoparticles were prepared by the simple and optimized precipitation method with different organic surfactants and capping agents. In the next step, the TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized using the sol-gel method. At the final step, the PbFe12O19-TiO2 nanocomposites were prepared via the sol-gel method. The effect of the precipitating agent on the morphology and particle size of the products was investigated. The prepared products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results obtained by the vibrating sample magnetometer show the magnetic properties of the ferrite nanostructures. The photocatalytic effect of the PbFe12O19-TiO2 nanocomposite on the elimination of the azo dyes (acid black, acid violet and acid blue) under ultraviolet light irradiation was evaluated. The results indicate that the prepared nanocomposites have acceptable magnetic and photocatalytic performance.