Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic properties of spinel CuAl 2O 4 nanoparticles by a sonochemical method

Spinel copper aluminate (CuAl 2O 4) nanoparticles were synthesized with the aid of sonication by a precursor approach. The precursors were prepared by sonicating an aqueous solution of copper nitrate, aluminium nitrate, and urea. Upon heating at 900 °C for 6 h, the precursor formed nanosized CuAl 2O 4 particles with an average size of 17 nm and with a surface area of about 110 m 2 g −1. The nanosized copper aluminate particles as well as the precursors were characterized by elemental analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image with electron diffraction pattern, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), Fourier transform of infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurements. The photocatalytic degradation was investigated using methyl orange under the irradiation of Hg lamp ( λ > 400 nm). The resulting degradation rates of the methyl orange were measured to be as high as 98% in 2 h.