•CoFe2O4–graphene hybrids (CFGHs) were synthesized by a simple combustion method.•CFGHs show improved visible-light photocatalytic activities.•The mechanism of improved photocatalytic property is discussed in detail.CoFe2O4–graphene hybrid materials (CFGHs) were synthesized by a simple one-step combustion method. The structures, morphologies and magnetic properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectrometry, vibrating sample magnetometry, and photoluminescence. The morphologies of CFGHs show that CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were anchored onto the surface of graphene sheets. After the combustion synthesis, graphene oxide sheets were not oxidized, but reduced. CFGHs exhibit ferromagnetic behaviors and can be magnetically separated. Compared with pure CoFe2O4, CFGHs show improved photodegradation performance. The mechanism of enhancement in photodegradation performance is discussed in detail.

ZnO ellipsoidal nanostructures with uniform ellipsoidal morphologies have been synthesized using different hydroxide anion precursors by an ultra-fast, facile (90 °C) solution-phase method without the assistance of sonication or any surfactants. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Based on the experimental results, a growth mechanism of ZnO nanostructures was proposed. The obtained ZnO nanostructures exhibit a weak UV emission band at ~ 385 nm and a relatively stronger orange emission band at ~ 615 nm. The solution-phase method is simple, convenient for large-scale fabrication of ZnO ellipsoidal nanostructures.