Synthesis of novel magnetically separable Fe3O4/Bi12O17Cl2 photocatalyst with boosted visible-light photocatalytic activity

Magnetic Fe3O4/Bi12O17Cl2 photocatalyst was prepared by chemical deposition and co-precipitation. The photocatalysts were measured by XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, DRS, PL, etc. The experimental results indicated that the introduction of magnetic material Fe3O4 did not only make as-prepared Fe3O4/Bi12O17Cl2 nanomaterials easier recovery, but also promoted the effective separation of photoinduced charges. Hence, in the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B, improved activity could be obtained in comparison to Bi12O17Cl2 . Furthermore, high photocatalytic activity could be maintained after four times recycling experiments. Meanwhile, free radical captured experiments revealed that holes and superoxide radicals played a major role. Evidently, this work shows an insight into the fabrication of easily separable and excellent photocatalysts, which was promisingly applied in environmental remediation.