High Photocatalytic Activity of Fe3O4-SiO2-TiO2 Functional Particles with Core-Shell Structure. (17th November 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xue, Chenyang; Zhang, Qiang; Li, Junyang; Chou, Xiujian; Zhang, Wendong; Ye, Hua; Cui, Zhanfeng; Dobson, Peter J.
• Other Names: Xia Hui Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of nanomaterials. Volume 2013(2013)
• Publication Date: 2013-11-17
• Subjects: Nanostructured materials -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanomatériaux; Nanostructured materials; Nanotechnology; Nanostructures; Nanotechnology; Periodicals; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; 620.115
• DOI: 10.1155/2013/762423
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1687-4110

Abstract

Abstract : This paper describes a novel method of synthesizing Fe3 O4 -SiO2 -TiO2 functional nanoparticles with the core-shell structure. The Fe3 O4 cores which were mainly superparamagnetic were synthesized through a novel carbon reduction method. The Fe3 O4 cores were then modified with SiO2 and finally encapsulated with TiO2 by the sol-gel method. The results of characterizations showed that the encapsulated 700 nm Fe3 O4 -SiO2 -TiO2 particles have a relatively uniform size distribution, an anatase TiO2 shell, and suitable magnetic properties for allowing collection in a magnetic field. These magnetic properties, large area, relative high saturation intensity, and low retentive magnetism make the particles have high dispersibility in suspension and yet enable them to be recovered well using magnetic fields. The functionality of these particles was tested by measuring the photocatalytic activity of the decolouring of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet light and sunlight. The results showed that the introduction of the Fe3 O4 -SiO2 -TiO2 functional nanoparticles significantly increased the decoloration rate so that an MO solution at a concentration of 10 mg/L could be decoloured completely within 180 minutes. The particles were recovered after utilization, washing, and drying and the primary recovery ratio was 87.5%.