Fe3O4 Composites Research Articles

Analyzing the Mechanical and Durability Characteristics of Steel Slag-Infused Asphalt Concrete in Roadway Construction

Steel slag is a solid byproduct of the steelmaking process, widely generated in the metallurgical industry. Due to its alkaline nature and excellent adhesive properties with asphalt, it represents a potential road construction material with outstanding road performance, making it well-suited for utilization in highway construction. This paper conducts a systematic analysis of the physical and chemical properties of steel slag, specifically South Steel Electric Furnace slag, and compares it with natural basalt and limestone aggregates. The aim is to establish a foundation for the application of steel slag in asphalt mixtures. Building upon this foundation, we carry out proportioning design for AC-13C and SMA-13 steel slag asphalt mixtures, followed by a comprehensive study of their high-temperature stability, low-temperature stability, water stability, and fatigue performance. Our research reveals variations in the chemical composition of different steel slags, with CaO, SiO2, and Fe2O3 being the primary components. The content of harmful elements varies depending on the steelmaking raw materials and additives used. Notably, the optimum asphalt-to-aggregate ratios for AC-13C and SMA-13 significantly surpass the specified requirements. The freeze–thaw splitting strength ratio and residual stability of steel slag AC-13C and SMA-13 asphalt mixtures exceed the specified requirements, with AC-13C demonstrating the highest water stability, boasting a freeze–thaw splitting strength ratio of 94.07%, and a residual stability of 93.8%. In terms of fatigue characteristics, SMA-13 exhibits a longer fatigue life than AC-13C, indicating superior fatigue performance for steel slag SMA-13. Steel slag enhances the abrasion resistance and rutting resistance of asphalt pavement surface layers, fully meeting the performance requirements for high-grade road surface layers.

Understanding atom probe’s analytical performance for iron oxides using correlation histograms and ab initio calculations

Field evaporation from ionic or covalently bonded materials often leads to the emission of molecular ions. The metastability of these molecular ions, particularly under the influence of the intense electrostatic field (1010Vm−1), makes them prone to dissociation with or without an exchange of energy amongst them. These processes can affect the analytical performance of atom probe tomography (APT). For instance, neutral molecules formed through dissociation may not be detected at all or with a time of flight no longer related to their mass, causing their loss from the analysis. Here, we evaluated the changes in the measured composition of FeO, Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 across a wide range of analysis conditions. Possible dissociation reactions are predicted by density-functional theory calculations considering the spin states of the molecules. The energetically favoured reactions are traced on to the multi-hit ion correlation histograms, to confirm their existence within experiments, using an automated Python-based routine. The detected reactions are carefully analyzed to reflect upon the influence of these neutrals from dissociation reactions on the performance of APT for analysing iron oxides.

Recycling of waste toner derived from exhausted printer cartridges as adsorbent for defluoridation of water

Due to the broad adoption of electronic and electrical equipment and the quick advancement of contemporary innovations in this domain, significant amounts of electronic waste have been produced. This category of waste includes the toner powder used by printers, copiers, and fax machines to print text and images. This paper describes a sustainable and environmentally friendly method of recycling waste toner powder. The chemical composition of this printer cartridge toner (PCt) powder is carbon, Fe3O4, polypropylene (polymeric resin), and SiO2 composite. Toner powder from exhausted printer cartridges was utilized as an adsorbent to remove fluoride from water. It has a fluoride adsorption capacity of 60 mg/g and a specific surface area of 20 m2/g. X-ray diffraction and electron microscopic investigations were used to investigate the chemical composition, structure, and surface morphology of the material. To analyze the collected experimental data, the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherm models were used. Time-dependent kinetic experiments were conducted to determine the mechanism of the adsorption process using pseudo-first-order kinetics, pseudo-second-order kinetics, and intraparticle diffusion kinetic models. The fluoride adsorption process was shown to be feasible and spontaneous (ΔG < 0) based on calculated thermodynamic characteristics, which included enthalpy, Gibbs free energy, entropy (ΔS > 0), and adsorption activation energy. The study also discussed its reusability as an adsorbent and examined its functioning capability in actual water.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Novel Magnetic Nanoparticles Combined with Thiophene Derivatives for the Removal of Cr(VI) from an Aqueous Solution.

Most heavy metals are harmful to human health and the environment, even at extremely low concentrations. In natural waters, they are usually found only in trace amounts. Researchers are paying great attention to nanotechnology and nanomaterials as viable solutions to the problem of water pollution. This research focuses on the synthesis of organic thiophene derivatives that can be used as grafted ligands on the surface of silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles to remove Cr(VI) chromium ions from water. The Vilsmeier-Haack reaction allows the formation of aldehyde groups in thiophene derivatives, and the resulting products were characterized by the FT-IR, NMR, and GC-MS. Schiff base is used as a binder between organic compounds and nanoparticles by the reaction of aldehyde groups in thiophene derivatives and amine groups on the surface of coated iron oxide nanoparticles. Schiff base functionalized Fe3O4 composites (MNPs@SiO2-SB-THCA) and (MNPs@SiO2-SB-THCTA) were successfully synthesized by homogeneous and heterogeneous methods and characterized by a combination of FT-IR, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The adsorption studies, kinetic modeling, adsorption isotherms, and thermodynamics of the two materials, MNPs@SiO2-SB-THCA and MNPs@SiO2-SB-THCTA, were investigated for the removal of Cr(VI) from water at room temperature and at 50 mg/L. The high adsorption capacity at pH 6 for MNPs@SiO2-SB-THCTA was 15.53 mg/g, and for MNPs@SiO2-SB-THCA, it was 14.31 mg/g.

Novel Bi-Functional MoS2/α-Fe2O3 Nanocomposites for High Photocatalytic Performance

In this study, 3-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) structures, integrated with hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles, were fabricated under a convenient two-step hydrothermal route. The fabricated photocatalytic nanocomposites consist of well-arranged MoS2 flakes, resembling spherical flower-like morphology, and the nanoparticulate α-Fe2O3 structures decorate the 3D network. By raising the α-Fe2O3 weight ratio, the composites’ specific surface area and morphology were not affected, regardless of the partial cover of the cavities for higher hematite content. Moreover, the crystallinity examination with XRD, Raman, and FTIR techniques revealed that the precursor reagents were fully transformed to well-crystalized MoS2 and Fe2O3 composites of high purity, as no organic or inorganic residues could be detected. The photocatalytic oxidation and reduction performance of these composites was evaluated against the tetracycline pharmaceutical and the industrial pollutant hexavalent chromium, respectively. The improvement in the removal efficiencies demonstrates that the superior photoactivity originates from the high crystallinity and homogeneity of the composite, in combination with the enhanced charge carriers’ separation in the semiconductors’ interface.

Facile flame synthesis of S-doped Fe2O3 on carbon cloth as superior anode material for sodium-ion battery

Take advantage of its superior theoretical specific capacity, Fe2O3 based nanocomposites are promising candidates for sodium ion batteries (SIBs). However, the complicate synthetic procedure hinders their further application. Herein, a facile ethanol diffusion flame synthesis approach is developed to prepare S-doped Fe2O3 composite on carbon cloth. The morphology of the Fe2O3 can be easily controlled by tuning the composition of the fuel and duration time of the flame treatment. Optimized composite with flake-like structure and heteroatom S-doped Fe2O3 (S/Fe2O3@CC-2) displayed enhanced electrochemical sodium storage performances. Specifically, sample S/Fe2O3@CC-2 maintained a reversible discharge capacity of 464.3 mAh g−1 after 150 cycles at 0.2 A g−1. Besides, at current densities of 0.4, 0.8, 1.6 and 3.2 A g−1, capacities of 393.8, 311.2, 277.5 and 218.9 mAh g−1 could be maintained, respectively. Kinetic analysis implies that S/Fe2O3@CC-2 manifested an improved capacitive-controlled sodium storage process. This work will shed light on facile and low-cost approach for the synthesis of high-performance anode materials for SIBs.

Impact of composite modes on electrochemical properties of Fe3O4/CNTs for Li-ion storage

Transition metal oxides (TMOs, e.g., Fe3O4) with high theoretical capacity hold tremendous potential in the field of lithium-ion batteries. Unfortunately, TMOs still suffer from the significant volume expansion and low intrinsic electronic conductivity, which results in irreversible structural collapse, uncontrollable particle aggregation, and sluggish electrochemical reaction kinetics, leading to bad rate performance and cycling stability. Combining TMOs with carbon has become the most effective approach to address the aforementioned issues. However, the interaction mechanism between TMOs and carbon influencing on electrochemical properties has not yet been thoroughly explored and widely recognized. Herein, we proposed a simple and controllable method to synthesize a series of Fe3O4 composites, i.e., Fe3O4 combined with carbon nanotubes (CNTs), via different composite modes, i.e., mixing, embedding and encapsulation. The mixing one exhibits the highest initial capacity but the poorest cycling stability. Encapsulating Fe3O4 into the cavities of CNTs effectively mitigates the volume expansion of Fe3O4, thereby achieving satisfactory rate performance. The embedded composite produces ultrafine Fe3O4 particles within the walls of CNTs, which not only enhances the dispersion of Fe3O4, but also provides an efficient pathway for electronic transport. The electrode based on the embedded composite mode demonstrates excellent cycling stability and an acceptable reversible capacity of 683.7 mAh/g at 1 A/g after 100 cycles. The relationship between structure and electrochemical properties of Fe3O4/CNTs composites is elaborated, which provides universal aspect for future design of high-energy–density lithium-ion batteries.

Synthesis of Zn/Al layered double hydroxides magnetic-nanoparticle for removal of humic acid

A novel adsorbent of Zn/Al-LDH functionalized magnetic composite nanomaterial was successfully synthesis using a hydrothermal co-precipitation approach with NaOH as precipitating agent, and applied for the removal of humic acid (HA) from aqueous solution. The preparation, morphology, composition, and magnetic properties of Fe3O4 @SiO2-Zn/Al LDH were characterized by SEM, TEM, EDS, XRD, VSM, FT-IR and XPS. Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the influence of contact time, initial concentration, solution pH and conformed to the pseudo-second-order and Freundlich isotherm models. The adsorption test on HA demonstrated that Fe3O4 @SiO2-Zn/Al LDH exhibited optimal removal efficiency at pH 4.0, with an initial concentration of 100 mg/L and contact time of 10 min. At room temperature, 1 g Fe3O4 @SiO2-Zn/Al LDH demonstrated a removal capacity of 46.16 mg/g. These results indicated that lower pH were beneficial to the adsorption process. Fe3O4 coated with SiO2, which improves the stability and acid resistance of the overall material. Moreover, XRD, XPS and FT-IR analyzes proved that the electrostatic interactions and ion-exchange were responsible for removal of HA on Fe3O4 @SiO2-Zn/Al LDH.

Fabrication of porous X-shaped Fe3O4@C core-shell structures for tunable microwave absorption

Designing porous materials with low density and high specific surface area is one of the strategies to obtain excellent wave absorbing properties. In this study, the carbon-coated porous X-shaped Fe3O4 composites used as microwave absorption materials were prepared by heat treatment of FeOOH@Polydopamine (PDA) core-shell precursors. It revealed that the X-shaped Fe3O4 core showed improved magnetic loss in GHz band due to its special shape anisotropy and large specific surface area. In addition, the modification of carbon enabled the Fe3O4 absorbers to have stronger polarization and higher electrical conductivity. The composites exhibited great freedom in performance tunability, allowing for strong absorption (RL<−40 dB) at different frequencies. For composites with thick carbon shell, the reflection loss reached the optimal value of − 64.92 dB at 15.04 GHz at the thickness of 1.75 mm, and the effective bandwidth was up to 4.64 GHz (13.04–17.68 GHz). The impressive performance of the as-prepared Fe3O4 @C core-shell composites was mainly attributed to the complementary behaviors of strong dielectric loss and magnetic loss.

Decoupling thermoelectric parameters by the energy-dependent carrier and phonon scattering based on the nano-structuring interface design

Thermoelectric materials can transfer heat energy to electricity energy or vice versa. However, the transfer efficiency is restricted by the interdependent thermoelectric parameters. In this work, all the thermoelectric parameters are simultaneously optimized via the energy-dependent carrier and phonon scattering based on the nano-structuring interface design. As a result, not only the electrical conductivity is significantly enhanced by increasing the electron concentration, the Seebeck coefficient is maintained in a high value due to the energy-dependent carrier scattering mechanism. Otherwise, based on the stronger phonon scattering by the nanoinclusions and dislocations, the lattice thermal conductivity is markedly suppressed. And thus, a peak ZT=1.5 and an outstanding conversion efficiency η=9 % are achieved for Pb0.995Bi0.005Te/0.1 wt.%Fe3O4 composite, indicating that the thermoelectric property of n-type PbTe can be elevated greatly by embedding Fe3O4 nanoinclusions. This strategy of nano-structuring interface design can also be highly applicable in improving the performance of other state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials.

Magnetically separable and reusable Fe3O4/chitosan nanocomposites green synthesized utilizing Moringa oleifera extract for rapid photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

This study focused on the green synthesis of Fe3O4/Chitosan (Cs) nanocomposites using Moringa oleifera leaf extract, which showed good photocatalytic activity when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. X-ray diffraction spectrum of Fe3O4/Cs informs the cubic inverse spinel and has crystallite size in the 10.1 – 11.7 nm range. The crystallite size also increased with the increase of Cs mass. The morphology of Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Cs was nearly spherical. The transmission electron microscope showed the most uniform size of nanocomposites at around 17.1 nm. The Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer result identified Fe-O in the 576–583 cm−1 range, indicating that Fe3O4 successfully bonded to Cs. Other functional groups, including O–H, C–H, C–O, C–O–C, and NH2, were also found, indicating that the formation of Cs was effective. The element composition of Fe3O4 is Fe (70.9 %) and O (29.1 %). Meanwhile, Fe3O4/Cs (4:4) is 47.9 %, 36.4 %, 11.3 %, and 4.4 % for Fe, O, C and N, respectively. The hysteresis curve indicated that Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Cs nanocomposites have soft ferromagnetic properties. Meanwhile, the saturation magnetization of Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Cs (4:2) nanocomposites are 54.0 and 42.3 emu/g, respectively. Peaks are seen in the UV–visible absorption spectrum of Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Cs nanocomposites between wavelengths 365–377 nm. The optical band gap energy (Eg) of Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Cs (4:2) are 3.4 and 3.0 eV, respectively. As the mass of Cs increases, the band gap energy decreases. Under UV light irradiation, 50 mg of Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Cs were analyzed on 7 ppm of methylene blue, pH = 4. The maximum photocatalytic activity Fe3O4/Cs (4:3), achieved an impressive degradation rate of 94.7 % after 120 min of irradiation. The magnetically separable capability means nanocomposites can be recycled and reused five times with high degradation. Furthermore, Fe3O4/Cs has the potential to be a low-cost and environmentally friendly reusable photocatalyst for rapid wastewater degradation.

Hollow magnetic Fe3O4 nanospheres for excellent electromagnetic wave absorption

The construction of lightweight magnetic electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption materials is of great significance for the development of EM wave absorption materials. Herein, hollow magnetic Fe3O4 (H–Fe3O4) nanospheres were successfully prepared by hydrothermal method. Analysis of EM parameters indicates that the formation of local conductive and magnetic networks caused by H–Fe3O4 aggregation effects leads to the significantly enhancement of permittivity and permeability. In particular, the H–Fe3O4 composite with a thickness of 2.15 mm achieved the minimum reflection loss of −50.25 dB and the corresponding bandwidth (<−10 dB) was 3.4 GHz. The synergistic effects of ferromagnetic resonance and exchange resonance and polarizations leads to excellent absorption performance. The radar cross section (RCS) simulation indicated that the RCS reduction value of H–Fe3O4 composite can reach 29.8 dB m2 under the incident angle of 20°. Moreover, the metastructure design shows an ultra-wide EM wave absorption bandwidth. This work can provide ideas for the design and application of ultra-light magnetic materials.

Exploring the mechanism of norfloxacin removal and active species evolution by coupling persulfate activation with biochar hybridized Fe3O4 composites

In situ growth of dispersed active sites on substrates is a strategy for designing highly efficient catalysts for sulfate radical (SO4•−)-based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs). Here, magnetic biochar composite (Fe3O4/BC) was fabricated as an activator to trigger PDS (peroxydisulfate) for norfloxacin (NOR) removal, achieving reliable NOR removal efficiency (>90%) within 10 min. Based on the synergistic effect between Fe3O4 and BC, the removal rate increases to 0.0265 L mg−1 min−1. Fe3O4/BC exhibited decent adaptability, stability, and recyclability toward affecting factors variation during PDS activation, attributed to the synergistic effect between Fe3O4 and BC. The electron transfer of magnetic Fe3O4 coupled with the adsorption and conduction function of carbon skeleton, which overcomes typical problems as crystal agglomeration, metal leaching, and catalysts recovery etc. The electron-rich Fe(II) sites promote the radical pathway by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS, •OH, SO4•− and O2•−), and radicals evolution contributing to the form of 1O2 in non-radical pathway. Under the effect of multipath in NOR degradation, HPLC-QTOF-MS spectroscopy and DFT calculation revealed the possible degradation pathway of NOR. In addition, according to toxicity prediction, the overall NOR contamination toxicity of NOR was effectively alleviated by Fe3O4/BC + PDS system. Overall, this study presents a promising composite in PDS activation and views the active species evolution in the NOR removal system, which is crucial for mechanism study in relevant research in the future.

Indoor water splitting for hydrogen production through electrocatalysis using composite metal oxide catalysts

This study explores an optimistic approach for large-scale hydrogen production by employing electrocatalysts based on nickel, cobalt, iron, and aluminum oxides as alternatives to costlier metals. This approach offers a cost-effective solution to electrolysis in water media for hydrogen production. This investigation is focused on the electrolysis process, engaging NiO–Al2O3–CoO–Fe2O3 in 1M solution of NaOH and KOH. The environmental and economic analyses are conducted to evaluate the overall effect and cost-effectiveness of the electrolysis process. These findings provide valuable insights into the performance, feasibility, and challenges of using oxides of aluminum, nickel, iron, and cobalt in electrolysis for hydrogen production. The structural and morphological analyses of metal oxides are conducted using XRD and SEM tools, which showed reduced crystallinity and open pore structure of the samples. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), and Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV) revealed a higher electrocatalytic activity, a larger electrochemical active surface area, a higher current density, and a high density of active sites of NiO–Al2O3–CoO–Fe2O3 composite. Electrode 1 of the composite catalyst produced 500 ml of hydrogen after 30 min of the process, while electrodes 2 and 3 produced 263 and 249 ml of hydrogen, respectively. This study also elucidated the electrocatalytic mechanism involved in water splitting using these composite materials.

Heterogeneity effects in micro-beam XRF scanning spectroscopy of binary powdered mixtures and lake sediments

Micro-beam X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning spectroscopy is very useful for analyzing heterogeneous samples from earth and environmental sciences with high spatial resolution. However, XRF intensity depends on grain size and mineralogical composition, known as the heterogeneous effect, although little quantitative evaluation has been conducted. In this study, the binary powdered mixtures of Fe2O3 in the CaCO3 or SiO2 matrix with nine grain size fractions (0.3–605 μm), four Fe2O3 concentrations (5–20 wt%), and fine-grained sedimentary cores from Lake Baikal were used for analysis, using a scanning X-ray analytical microscope (SXAM), and then evaluated by making a simple modification of the Berry–Furuta–Rhodes model. The results of binary powdered samples show that the Fe intensity decreases as the grain size increases, but if the grain size is constant, its intensity has a linear relationship with the composition of Fe2O3. The experimental data are in good agreement with theoretical curves. The theory predicts that if a phase that contains fluorescent elements has narrow ranges of concentration and grain size, the micro-beam XRF spectroscopy enables highly precise calibration from the XRF intensity to element concentration. The theoretical curves of the Lake Baikal sediment core suggest that the Fe intensity has about a 30% maximum difference in the median grain size range of 3.9–28.2 μm. This variation appears in a scatter of regression between Fe intensity and concentration, but it scarcely affected the XRF intensity variability of sediment composition.

Synergistic effect triggered by Fe2O3 and oxygen-induced hydroxyl radical enhances formation of amino-phenolic humic-like substance

Metal oxides play a promising role in the transformation of polyphenols and amino acids involved in naturally occurring humification. The objective of this study was to explore the synergistic interactions between Fe2O3 and O2 in the formation of humic substances under a controlled O2 atmosphere (0%, 21% and 40% O2 levels). The results indicate that an O2 level of 21% with Fe2O3 was optimal for humic acid (HA) production. Hydroxyl radicals (∙OH) formed and promoted the formation of HA in the presence of O2, and O2 improved the enhancing capacity of Fe2O3 by oxidizing Fe(II) to Fe(III). Moreover, the combination of these processes resulted in a synergistic improvement in humification. The evolution of functional groups in HA suggested that O2 promoted the formation of oxygen-containing groups such as lipids, and Fe2O3 was conducive to the formation of dark-coloured polymers during the darkening process of humification. Furthermore, the O2 level of 40% inhibited the formation of HA by reducing the transformation from Fe(III) to Fe(II). The XRD results showed few changes in the composition of Fe2O3 before and after humification, which indicated that Fe2O3 was a catalyst and an oxidant. The heterospectral UV–Vis/FTIR results suggested that ∙OH attacked phenolic rings to form the aromatic ring skeleton of HA and benefit the ring-opening copolymerization of humic precursors. In addition, structural equation modelling demonstrated that dissolved Fe was the key parameter affecting the HA yield. These findings provide new insights into the synergism of O2-mediated ∙OH production associated with metal oxide-facilitated humification.

Detection of luteolin in food using a novel electrochemical sensor based on cobalt-doped microporous/mesoporous carbon encapsulated peanut-like FeOx composite

Luteolin (Lu) is a dietary flavonoid that has attracted much attention due to its multiple health benefis effects. Herein, an ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor for Lu was constracted based on cobalt-doped microporous/mesoporous carbon (MMC) encapsulated peanut-like Fe2O3 composite. The FeOx-Co-MMC composite was obtained by pyrolyzing a precursor named Fe2O3-Co-microporous/mesoporous dopamine (Fe2O3-Co-MMPDA) which was synthesized by a soft template method. Under optimized conditions, the sensor exhibited good detection of Lu with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.031 nM and a wide linear range from 0.05 to 1000 nM in detecting Lu. It also demonstrated good reproducibility (RSD = 3.16%), stability (RSD = 2.34%), and anti-interference properties. The sensor successfully detected Lu in real food samples such as honeysuckle with recoveries ranging from 96.1% to 104.8% (RSD <3%, n = 3). The present study provides an alternative method for Lu detection in food.

ELECTROCATALYTIC SYNTHESIS OF p-AMINOPHENOL USING Fe-Ag-COMPOSITES

p-Aminophenol was prepared by electrocatalytic hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol using Ag + Fe + Fe3O4 (or Fe2O3) composites as catalysts formed during heat treatment and electrochemical reduction of silver ferrite, AgFeO2. AgFeO2 samples were synthesized by co-precipitation method without and in the presence of a polymer (polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone). The effect of the polymers on the phase constitutions of metal composites formed at the stage of synthesis, during the heat treatment and electrochemical reduction was established. The high electrocatalytic activity of prepared Fe-Ag-containing composites in electrohydrogenation of p-nitrophenol with an increase of hydrogenation rate by 2.2-2.7 times in comparison with its electrochemical reduction in similar conditions was shown.

Black sand as a cost-effective catalyst for methylene blue photo-remediation under visible light

Methylene blue (MB) is commonly a persistent and perilous pollutant in industrial wastewater effluent. While MB has a massive negative effect on human and ecology safety. The neutralization of such harmful material would save a huge clean water amount. This work proposes the natural and abundant black sand as a catalyst for MB photodegradation. The sand sample was calcined at three temperatures of 300°, 400°, and 600 °C. The properties of samples were analyzed with different micro- as well as spectroscopic techniques. The experimental data revealed the sample's main composition of SiO2, Fe2O3, and Al2O3. XRD and XPS results proved the formation of mixed oxides composites due to calcination, especially at 400 °C. The UV–vis analysis conducted showed that samples can absorb light in the visible range. The photodegradation reached a maximum of 975.3%, 82.7%, and 75.7% for BS400, BS600, and BS300 respectively; by illumination for 2.5 h in the visible range. The observed distinguishable catalytic performance was discussed via the spectroscopic analysis and oxygen availability in the catalyst lattice. When AO, t-BuOH, and BQ are used as scavengers instead of just BQ during the photodegradation of MB dye over BS400 catalyst, the photodegradation rate drops significantly. The degradation % of MB dye diminished to 60%, and 70% by using AO, t-BuOH, and BQ scavengers; respectively. This proved that rather than hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals or positive hole production is the main determining step in MB photo-degradation over BS400 catalyst.

Multi-Layer TiO2−x-PEDOT-Decorated Industrial Fe2O3 Composites as Anode Materials for Cycle-Performance-Enhanced Lithium-Ion Batteries

An industrial submicron-sized Fe2O3 with no special shape was decorated by a multi-layer coating of oxygen-deficient TiO2−x and conducting polymer PEDOT (poly 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). A facile sol–gel method followed by an EDOT polymerization process was adopted to synthesize the hierarchical coating composite. The microstructure and phase composition were characterized using an X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In particular, the existence state of PEDOT was determined using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and a thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The characterization results indicated the dual phase was well-coated on the Fe2O3 and its thickness was nano scale. Electrochemical characterization indicated that the multi-layer coating was helpful for significantly enhancing the cycle stability of the Fe2O3, and its electrochemical performance was even better than that of the single-layer coating samples. The synergistic effects of the ceramic phase and conducting polymer were demonstrated to be useful for improving electrochemical properties. The obtained FTP-24 sample exhibited a specific discharge capacity of 588.9 mAh/g after 360 cycles at a current density of 100 mA/g, which effectively improved the intrinsic cycling performance of the Fe2O3, with a corresponding discharge capacity of 50 mAh/g after 30 cycles.