Preparation and photocatalytic properties of a novel kind of loaded photocatalyst of TiO2/SiO2/γ-Fe2O3

A novel kind of loaded photocatalyst of TiO(2)/SiO(2)/gamma-Fe(2)O(3) (TSF) that can photodegrade effectively organic pollutants in the dispersion system and can be recycled easily by a magnetic field is reported in this paper. The gamma-Fe(2)O(3) cores in TiO(2)/gamma-Fe(2)O(3) are found to reduce the activity of the TiO(2) photocatalyst in the photodegradation of dyes under either UV or visible light irradiation. Addition of a SiO(2) membrane between the gamma-Fe(2)O(3) core and the TiO(2) shell weakens efficiently the influence of the gamma-Fe(2)O(3) cores on the TiO(2) photocatalytic activity and leads to a highly active and magnetically separable photocatalyst on TSF. Comparison of the photodegradation processes of dyes under UV and visible irradiation is also carried out.