OICC Press International Journal of Industrial Chemistry 2228-5547 11 4 2023 11 17 MgFe2O4/CNTs nanocomposite: synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic activity https://doi.org/10.1007/s40090-020-00223-z EN Ibrahim F. Waheed Department of Industrial Chemistry, College of Science, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq 0000-0002-8984-1783 Omer Yasin Thayee Al-Janabi College of Petroleum Processes Engineering, Petroleum and Gas Refining Engineering, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq 0000-0001-5435-112X Abdalghany K. Ibrahim Department of Industrial Chemistry, College of Science, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq Peter J. S. Foot School of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kingston University London, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2EE, UK 0000-0002-2122-3129 Muayad A. S. Alkarawi College of Petroleum Processes Engineering, Petroleum and Gas Refining Engineering, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq 0000-0002-0880-7883 Baidaa M. Ali Department of Industrial Chemistry, College of Science, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq Faiz M. Al-Abady Department of Industrial Chemistry, College of Science, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq Journal Article 2023 11 17 Magnesium ferrite is a visible light absorber, and when combined with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), it can lead to low electron–hole recombination rates, thus improving its photocatalytic activity. In this work, a novel MgFe2O4/CNTs nanocomposite catalyst has been synthesized via anchoring MgFe2O4 nanoparticles onto MWCNTs surface by a sol–gel and microwave-assisted route. The prepared catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and vibrating scanning magnetometry. MgFe2O4 nanoparticles showed a cubic inverse spinel ferrite structure, while MgFe2O4/CNTs nanohybrids showed combinations of both structures. Morphology studies including Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis confirmed a 40 m2 g−1 specific surface area with narrow mesoporous size distribution for the MgFe2O4/CNTs nanocomposite. The photocatalytic performance of the new catalyst was assessed by photodegradation of methylene blue (MB). The experimental results demonstrated that MgFe2O4/CNTs exhibited strong photocatalytic activity, catalysing the photooxidation of about 98% of MB in 25 min under sunlight.