Thermal and electrochemical reduction of zinc ferrite doped with polymer

Abstract Zinc ferrite samples were prepared by a co-precipitation method in the presence and absence of a polymer stabilizer (polyvinyl alcohol), followed by heat treatment at 500, 700, and 900 °C. The structural phase and morphological features of these samples were studied by X-ray phase analysis and electron microscopy. It was found that polymer-doped zinc ferrite undergoes thermal reduction by the decomposition products of the polymer, and is also capable of further electrochemical reduction on a Cu cathode in an aqueous alkaline solution. Zinc ferrite reduction products (ZnO, Fe0) exhibit electrocatalytic activity for the electrohydrogenation of p-nitroaniline.