Investigation of the structural, optical and magnetic properties of CuO/CuFe2O4 nanocomposites synthesized via simple microemulsion method

Abstract Copper oxide CuO/tetragonal CuFe 2 O 4 nanocomposites have been synthesized via the simple microemulsion route by addition of different Fe 3+ ion ratios (where Fe 3+ content=0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20). It is clear that the pure CuO phase was observed from the precipitated copper hydroxide precursor at pH 12 as prepared and annealed at 600 to 800 °C for 2 h. Meanwhile, Fe 3+ addition at low substitution concentration (0.05) was indexed pure CuO phase. Further enhancing the Fe 3+ up to different concentration from 0.10 to 0.20 was confirmed CuO/t-CuFe 2 O 4 nanocomposites. The ratio of t-CuFe 2 O 4 phase in the composite was increment with increasing the Fe 3+ addition. It was increased up to 28% by addition of Fe 3+ content of 0.20 and annealed at 800 °C for 2 h. Indeed, the crystallite size and the theoretical density calculated from XRD pattern were decreased whereas the unit cell volume was increased as the result of Fe 3+ -addition. The microstructures of the produced pure CuO powders were exhibited pseudo-cubic like structure whereas they were appeared as spherical like structure by addition of Fe 3+ ion. Ultraviolet-visible spectrum revealed that three strong band transitions were assigned in the range of 450–950 nm, characteristics to the iron substitution. Of note, the band gap energies of pure and CuO/t-CuFe 2 O 4 powders were in the range from 1.38 to 1.47 eV. Otherwise, magnetic properties evinced that pure CuO particles have weak ferromagnetic characteristics. Furthermore, the magnetic properties were enhanced with increasing the Fe 3+ addition corresponding to increase t-CuFe 2 O 4 phase content.