Photocatalytic properties of magnesium aluminate spinel nanoparticles prepared by chemical precipitation method

Magnesium aluminate spinel nanoparticles were synthesised via chemical precipitation method using ammonia as precipitating agent. The effects of calcination temperature on the phase constitution, morphologies, specific surface area and photocatalytic properties were investigated. Single phase cubic MgAl2O4 formed by calcining the precursors at the temperature ranges from 700°C to 1,000°C for 90 min. The mean crystallite size of the MgAl2O4 powder increases slightly with the increase in calcination temperature. Increasing the calcination temperature leads to decrease in the specific surface area and the decline of the photocatalytic properties. The methylene blue removal ratio reaches 96.3% within 240 min using MgAl2O4 spinel powder calcined at 700°C.