Synthesis of mesoporous α-Fe2O3 via sol–gel methods using cellulose nano-crystals (CNC) as template and its photo-catalytic properties

Abstract Mesoporous α-Fe2O3 was prepared based on the sol–gel method using cellulose nano-crystals (CNC) as the template. The samples were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD and N2 adsorption. The results indicated that the mesoporous α-Fe2O3 samples with a predominant pore diameter of 17.3 nm were successfully prepared. The crystalline size of α-Fe2O3 samples was about 57 nm and specific surface area was 47.26 m2 g−1. The mesoporous α-Fe2O3 prepared with CNC as the template exhibited better photo-catalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) as compared to the sample prepared without CNC.