Synthesis of ZnO@CuFe 2 O 4 Nanocomposite Assisted by Polyol for Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue

Abstract In this work, a novel CNT‐free ZnO@CuFe 2 O 4 nanocomposite was successfully synthesized using a simple polyol‐assisted process to enhance visible light‐driven photocatalysis. The novelty of this approach lies in integrating the strong light absorption capacity of ZnO with the magnetic properties and narrow bandgap characteristics of CuFe 2 O 4 . The crystalline structure and optical properties of the synthesized materials were systematically investigated using XRD, FTIR, PL, and UV–vis spectroscopy measurements. XRD analysis of the composite confirmed the coexistence of ZnO and CuFe 2 O 4 crystalline phases with a reduced crystallite size of 13.09 nm. FTIR and PL spectroscopy revealed strong interfacial interactions that effectively suppressed electron–hole recombination. The UV–vis absorption analysis demonstrated an enhanced absorption of visible light by the composite. The photocatalytic efficiency was evaluated using the degradation efficiency of methylene blue dye under visible light. Combined ZnO@CuFe 2 O 4 enhanced the degradation efficiency up to 88% compared to pristine ZnO with 56% and CuFe 2 O 4 with 69% in 90 min with apparent rate constant of 0.02356 min −1 . This improvement is attributed to a direct Z‐scheme charge separation and reactive oxygen species generation mechanism, which demonstrates the novelty of a facile polyol‐assisted strategy for efficient sunlight photodegradation of organic dyes.