Synthesis and photocatalytic performance of recyclable core-shell mesoporous Fe3O4@Bi2WO6 nanoparticles

Abstract Composite photocatalysts composed of semiconductor and magnetic matters are of great concern due to their excellent catalytic and recyclable performances. In this work, Fe 3O4 nanoparticles are modified by a fibrous mesoporous silica layer (F-SiO 2), on which a mesoporous Bi2WO6 shell is grown in situ through hydrothermal reaction . Along with the formation of Bi 2WO6 shell, the F-SiO2 layer fades away by the acid etching. As a result, novel spherical core-shell mesoporous Fe3O4@Bi2WO6 nanoparticles with a high BET surface area of 127.3 m2/g are fabricated. The photocatalytic decomposition of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation reveals that the mesoporous Fe3O4@Bi2WO6 nanoparticles show excellent physisorption and photocatalytic performances. The total removal ratio of MB can be achieved as high as 98%. Furthermore, the mesoporous Fe3O4@Bi2WO6 nanoparticles maintain high photocatalytic activity after five cycles. This work provides a new way to construct recyclable mesoporous Bi2WO6 -based nanomaterials with high performance to remove organic pollutants.