Envisioning the attachment of CdS nanoparticles on the surface of MFe2O4 (M = Zn, Co and Ni) nanocubes: Analysis of structural, optical, magnetic and photocatalytic properties

Abstract Visible light responsive CdS nanoparticles were successfully ensheathed over MFe 2 O 4 (M = Zn, Co and Ni) nanocube's. Effect on the growth of ferrite nanocubes with the incorporation of different dopant metals into the spinel structure of ferrite and effective attachment of CdS nanoparticles were visualized using HR-TEM investigation. Zinc blend structure of CdS nanoparticles and cubic structure of ferrite nanocubes was probed using powder XRD analysis. A shift in the peaks of XRD provided information about the successful doping of different metal ions in the spinel structure of ferrite. No change in the position of peaks corresponding to CdS nanoparticles indicated that luminescence nanoparticles clutched their structural stability. Optical studies revealed that the band gap of nanocomposites was less as compared to the pristine CdS nanoparticles (2.33 eV) and hence made more sensitization to the solar light by covering the large portion of the solar spectrum. Photo luminescence studies showed that luminescent intensity decreased by increasing the amount of ferrite nanocubes in the nanocomposite sample. The photo-catalytic activity was found to be maximum for CdS-ZnFe 2 O 4 (1:0.10 M ratio) and CdS-CoFe 2 O 4 (1:0.20 M ratio) nanocomposites as compared to pristine NPs with complete degradation of dye molecules in 120 min.