Facile synthesis of uniformly loaded Fe3O4-TiO2/RGO ternary hybrids for enhanced photocatalytic activities

Different from reported core-shell magnetic hybrids, Fe3O4-TiO2/RGO recyclable photocatalysts were synthesized by depositing both TiO2 and Fe3O4 nanoparticles homogeneously onto the graphene sheet through a facile one-pot hydrothermal approach. The unique structure can not only utilize the superior magnetism of Fe3O4 but also allow the photocatalytic property of Fe3O4 to full play, which can offer a synergistic effect with TiO2 and RGO. The characterization results of SEM and TEM demonstrated that Fe3O4 grains without the shell, as well as TiO2 particles, densely anchored onto RGO layers. According to the VSM analysis and cycle experiments, the asprepared Fe3O4-TiO2/RGO catalyst maintained superior magnetism, stability and recycling performance. In particular, the photo-degradation ability of phenol was significantly affected by the molar ratio of iron to titanium and the optimized composites exhibited 96.6 mg g(-1) total removal capacity under UV-light. The ESR spectra revealed that the uniform loaded Fe3O4 nanoparticles may further accelerate the transfer of photoinduced electrons, the designed structure of the ternary components in close contact with each other promotes the synergistic effect and the generation of hydroxyl radicals (center dot OH) and superoxide anion (O-2(center dot-)). This work provides a novel facile fabrication of magnetic photocatalyst with uniformly loaded structure and outstanding photocatalytic performance, which has great application prospects in remediating organic contaminated water.

Automated summary

Different from reported core-shell magnetic hybrids, the Fe3O4-TiO2/RGO recyclable photocatalysts have a unique structure that utilizes the magnetism of Fe3O4 while also showcasing its photocatalytic properties in synergy with TiO2 and RGO. The catalyst maintains superior magnetism, stability, and recycling performance, showing high photo-degradation ability under UV-light with optimized composites. The uniform loaded Fe3O4 nanoparticles on RGO accelerate electron transfer and promote the generation of hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anion, leading to outstanding photocatalytic performance for organic water remediation.