Magnetically separable Ag NWs/Fe3O4@mTiO2 nanowires: Fabrication and photocatalytic activity

Abstract

This work has developed a facile strategy to create magnetically separable, core-shell structured composites consisting of a magnetic Ag nanowires (NWs)/Fe3O4 cores and an outer mesoporous TiO2 (mTiO2) shell using a sol-gel process and subsequent hydrothermal treatment. Benefiting from the mesoporous anatase TiO2 as well as the unique structures of the composite, the resulting Ag NWs/ Fe3O4@mTiO2 composite was employed as a catalyst for removal of the organic contaminants through a colorimetric photocatalytic degradation assay using methylene blue (MB) as a model contaminant. Moreover, the photocatalysts can be easily separated and recycled with an external magnetic field and possess prominent recoverability.