Rapid degradation of methylene blue in a novel heterogeneous Fe(3)O(4) @rGO@TiO(2)-catalyzed photo-Fenton system

Herein, a ternary nanocomposite with TiO(2) nanoparticles anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-encapsulated Fe(3)O(4) spheres (Fe(3)O(4)@rGO@TiO(2)) is presented as a high efficient heterogeneous catalyst for photo-Fenton degradation of recalcitrant pollutants under neutral pH. Fe(3)O(4)@rGO@TiO(2) was synthesized by depositing TiO(2) nanoparticles on the surface of the Fe(3)O(4) spheres wrapped by graphene oxide (GO) which was obtained by an electrostatic layer-by-layer method. This as-prepared catalyst reflected good ferromagnetism and superior stability which makes it convenient to be separated and recycled. Due to the synergic effects between the different components composed the catalyst, swift reduction of Fe(3+) can be achieved to regenerate Fe(2+). Fe(3)O(4)@rGO@TiO(2) exhibited enhancing catalytic activity for the degradation of azo-dyes compared with Fe(3)O(4), Fe(3)O(4)@SiO(2)@TiO(2) or SiO(2)@rGO@TiO(2), further conforming the rapid redox reaction between Fe(2+) and Fe(3+). All these merits indicate that the composite catalyst possesses great potential for visible-light driven destruction of organic compounds.