Protoporphyrin IX functionalized α-Fe2O3 for enhanced photocatalytic and antimicrobial activity under sunlight

As a novel strategy for improving the photocatalytic activity through hybrid with small molecule photosensitizer, alpha-Fe2O3 has been successfully functionalized with protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) in order to enhance sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation of dyes and antimicrobial activity due to the staggered energy band structures which promote a charge transfer between alpha-Fe2O3 and PPIX and generate free holes and electrons. The results show that alpha-Fe2O3 could absorb more sunlight and generate more free electrons and holes after being decorated with PPIX. As a result, PPIX-functionalized alpha-Fe2O3 has an enhanced photocatalytic degradation of dyes ability against rhodamine B and methyl orange and antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli. The present strategy gives a promising way to prepare photocatalytic agent hybrid with small molecule photosensitizer.