Synthesis and characterization of Fe-TiO2@SiO2@Fe3O4 magnetic visible light photocatalyst for removal of Rhodamine B dye

Abstract

In this research, the magnetic visible light photocatalyst of Fe-TiO₂@SiO₂@Fe₃O₄ was synthesised using co-precipitation, sol-gel and hydrothermal method. The as-obtained material’s properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectra (UV- Vis), magnetic curve (VSM) and photoluminescence (PL). The catalytic activity of the materials under visible light was investigated for degradation of Rhodamine B pigment  in water. The obtained results indicated that at the catalyst dose of 0.5 g/L, Fe-TiO₂@SiO₂@Fe₃O₄ with TiO₂/SiO₂@Fe₃O₄ (SF) ratio of 2:1 performed the highest efficiency of  99.3 % after 180 minutes under irritation. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of Rhodamine B under visible light could be ascribed to the reducing of band gap energy and decrease in the recombination rate of photogenerated electron/hole pairs. The catalytic activity after four times of recycling were 71,3 %.The material showed potential for further application in water treatment.