Visualizing the catalytic advancements in nickel ferrite via inclusion of bismuth for the removal of hazardous environmental pollutants

Abstract

The incorporation of bismuth into spinel nanoferrites has emerged as an interesting platform for amendment in structural characteristics, cation distribution and catalytic efficacy of nanoferrites. Bismuth has one of its kind properties to occupy both the octahedral and tetrahedral sites which enticed a significant role in evaluating the catalytic behavior of bismuth-doped nanoferrites. The present work explored the versatility of bismuth substituted nickel ferrite nanostructures as catalysts for the oxidative degradation of dyes and reduction of nitrophenols. The catalytic activity was found to increase up to the incorporation of 4% bismuth owing to the occupancy of catalytically active octahedral sites, whereas devastation was observed at higher concentrations due to accumulation of bismuth in tetrahedral sites. The observed trend of catalytic behavior was in full concordance with the saturation magnetisation, crystallite size, and band-gap. The recyclability studies indicated the applicability of bismuth substituted nanoferrites as potential catalysts for the mitigation of environmental pollutants.