Abstract
The high recombination rate of the electron-hole pair on the surface of rutile TiO2 (RT) reduces its photocatalytic performance, although it has high thermodynamic stability and few internal grain defects. Therefore, it is necessary for RT to develop effective methods to reduce electron-hole pair recombination. In this study, magnetic α-Fe2O3/Rutile TiO2 self-assembled hollow spheres were fabricated via a facile hydrothermal reaction and template-free method. Based on the experimental result, phosphate concentration was found to play a crucial role in controlling the shape of these hollow α-Fe2O3/RT nanospheres, and the optimal concentration is 0.025 mM. Due to a heterojunction between α-Fe2O3 and RT, the electron-hole pair recombination rate was reduced, the as-synthesized hollow α-Fe2O3/RT nanospheres exhibited excellent photocatalysis in rhodamine B (RhB) photodegradation compared to α-Fe2O3 and RT under visible-light irradiation, and the degradation rate was about 16% (RT), 60% (α-Fe2O3), and 93% (α-Fe2O3/RT) after 100 min. Moreover, α-Fe2O3/RT showed paramagnetism and can be recycled to avoid secondary environmental pollution.
Highlights
Semiconductor photocatalysis is an advanced environmental purification technology that converts solar energy into chemical energy [1,2,3,4]
One of the main reasons is that rutile TiO2 has a high carrier recombination rate, limiting its photocatalytic activity
A self-assembled paramagnetic α-Fe2 O3 /rutile TiO2 (RT) hollow sphere composite structure with controllable morphology was successfully synthesized via a template-free hydrothermal method
Summary
Semiconductor photocatalysis is an advanced environmental purification technology that converts solar energy into chemical energy [1,2,3,4]. This promising technology can oxidize organic pollutants through superoxide anions or hydroxyl radicals produced by photo-electrons or photo-generated holes [5,6]. Compared with the anatase crystal form, the rutile crystal form TiO2 has higher thermodynamic stability and fewer internal grain defects. It does not show comparable photocatalytic performance. How to improve the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers of rutile TiO2 is an urgent problem to be solved [9,10,11]
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