Efficient adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of textile dye from metal ion-substituted ferrite for environmental remediation

A fuel-based solution combustion method was used to synthesize Sr-substituted copper ferrites [Cu_1−xSr_xFe₂O₄ (x = 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00)]. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern demonstrates that CuFe₂O₄ has a tetragonal structure and SrFe₂O₄ a cubic structure and the formation of particles of spherical and needle-like structures was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The magnetic behavior was investigated through a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) at room temperature under an applied magnetic field ranging from − 20 kOe to + 20 kOe. Based on the M–H hysteresis loop, the soft-ferrite nature of the samples was observed. The synthesized samples were investigated for adsorption and photocatalysis in the degradation of textile dyes malachite green, crystal violet, and congo red. Compared to other compositions, SrFe₂O₄ demonstrated comparatively better adsorption and photocatalytic efficiency.