Tunable Structural and Optical Properties of GO-Integrated Mg0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 Nanocomposites
Bhumika Sharma1; Sumit Bhardwaj1*; Aayush Gupta2#; Harshit Tripathi
1Department of Physics, University Institute of Sciences, Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413, India 2Functional Materials Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, GLA University, Mathura, 281406, India 3Fun Glass-Centre for Functional and Surface Functionalized Glass, Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín, Trenčín, Slovakia
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Abstract
The growing need for sustainable solutions to environmental pollution and energy-related challenges has increased interest in multifunctional nanomaterials with tunable structural and optical properties. In the present work, pristine Mg0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 (MZF) and graphene oxide (GO)-incorporated MZF nanocomposites containing 3, 5, 7, and 10 wt. % GO were synthesized using the auto-combustion method followed by a solution-based preparation route. The influence of GO incorporation on the structural and optical characteristics of MZF was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Visible spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of a single-phase cubic spinel structure for pristine MZF and the GO/MZF nanocomposites without detectable secondary phases. The pristine MZF exhibited a lattice parameter of approximately 8.40 Å and a crystallite size of approximately 19 nm, consistent with reported Mg-Zn ferrite systems. With increasing GO concentration, variations in the lattice parameter and crystallite size were observed, indicating the influence of GO incorporation on crystallite growth and local structural characteristics of the ferrite matrix. UV-Visible analysis revealed a semiconductor-like optical response, with the optical band gap of pristine MZF estimated to be approximately 1.6-1.8 eV. Increasing GO incorporation resulted in a progressive modification of the optical band gap, suggesting changes in localised electronic states and interfacial interactions within the composite. FTIR analysis confirmed the characteristic metal-oxygen vibrations of the MZF spinel structure, with bands expected near 590 and 460 cm-1, corresponding to metal-oxygen vibrations associated with tetrahedral and octahedral sites, respectively. Additional bands in the higher-wavenumber region of the GO containing samples were attributed to oxygen-containing functional groups of GO, confirming its incorporation into the ferrite matrix. Overall, GO incorporation provides an effective approach for tailoring the structural and optical properties of Mg0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4, highlighting the potential of GO/MZF nanocomposites for multifunctional applications in photocatalysis, environmental remediation, and energy-related technologies.
Keywords: Mg0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4; Graphene Oxide; Nanocomposite