CdO-Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite with enhanced magnetic and photocatalytic properties

Pure CdO nanopowder and CdO-Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite were synthesized by a cost effective chemical method, and the samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, UV-Vis-NIR and PL. Also, magnetic and photocatalytic properties of the synthesized samples were studied. XRD patterns of the composite confirm the presence of diffraction peaks related to both CdO and Fe₃O₄. EDX spectrum confirms the presence of the elements Cd, O and Fe in the composite. Peaks related to Cd–O and Fe–O bonds were observed respectively at 688 cm⁻¹ and 592 cm⁻¹ in the FT-IR spectrum. The paramagnetic behavior of pure CdO becomes ferromagnetic when coupled with Fe₃O₄. The composite exhibited a high photodegradation efficiency of 92.85 % against the degradation of methylene blue dye under visible light radiation.