The Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Mnx Co1-x Fe2 O4 Over the Znx Co1-x Fe2 O4 Under the Visible Light Irradiation: A Comparative Study

Zn x Co 1-x Fe 2 O 4 and Mn x Co 1-x Fe 2 O 4 (where x=0.5 atom %) catalysts were synthesized by sol-gel technique and were further characterized by various analytical techniques. PXRD pattern confirms cubic spinel structure for both the samples. UV-Visible spectra show extended absorption in the visible region and the band gap values of Zn 0.5 Co 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 and Mn 0.5 Co 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 catalysts were found to be 1.71 and 1.67 eV. Photocatalytic of experiments show that Mn 0.5 Co 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 is a better photocatalyst compared to the Zn 0.5 Co 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 due to the unique characteristics of Mn 2+ ion which can exist in different oxidation states.