Different morphologies fabrication of NiAl₂O₄ nanostructures with the aid of new template and its photocatalyst application

In the area of water purification, nanotechnology offers the possibility of an efficient removal of pollutants and germs. Nowadays, nanostructures used for detection and removal of chemical and biological substances include metals, azo dyes, nutrients, cyanide, organics, algae, bacteria, parasites, and etc. In the current study, an attempt is made to synthesize and characterization of NiAl₂O₄ nanostructures in an aqueous environment through the simple sol–gel method. Besides, three capping agents as glycine, asparagine, and alanine were used to investigate their effects on the morphology and particle size of NiAl₂O₄ nanostructures. This method starts from of the precursor complex, and involves the formation of homogeneous solid intermediates, reducing atomic diffusion processes during thermal treatment. The formation of pure crystallized NiAl₂O₄ nanocrystals occurred when the precursor was heat-treated at 800 °C in air for 150 min. The stages of the formation of NiAl₂O₄, as well as the characterization of the resulting compounds were done made using UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, and X-ray diffraction. The magnetic properties of as-prepared NiAl₂O₄ nanostructures were also investigated with vibrating sample magnetometer. Furthermore, the photocatalytic properties of as synthesized NiAl₂O₄ were evaluated by degradation of methyl orange as water contaminant.