Structural Properties of CuFe2O4/ZnO Nanocomposite: Insights from X-ray Diffraction and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure

This work presents a comprehensive study of the structural properties of a CuFe2O4/ZnO nanocomposite, with a CuFe2O4/ZnO ratio of 1:1. CuFe2O4/ZnO nanocomposite was synthesized using a two-step co-precipitation method. First, CuFe2O4 nanoparticles were prepared using the spray co-precipitation technique, then the nanoparticles were modified by sodium citrate and coated with ZnO. The structural parameters of both the crystal and local structures of the CuFe2O4 constituent within the nanocomposite were obtained by using a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analyses. The obtained results indicated that both the crystal and local structures of the CuFe2O4 constituent in the nanocomposite form are not affected by the ZnO coating. The CuFe2O4 constituent has a cubic spinel structure with 15% of Cu2+ ions distributed in the tetrahedral sites. Interatomic distances have been identified both as averages and specifically around Fe and Cu atoms to determine any sub-lattice distortion and the formation of distinct sub-lattices around Fe and Cu atoms in the cubic structure.