Assembly of ZnO nanoparticles on SiO2@α-Fe2O3 nanocomposites for an efficient photo-Fenton reaction

Abstract

The SiO2@α-Fe2O3/ZnO metal oxide nanocomposites employed in this study were obtained using the sol-gel method. Their photocatalytic activities were enhanced by photo-Fenton reactions. The metal oxide composite of ZnO and α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were deposited on the SiO2 nanospheres intended for visible light photocatalysis. Further, the as-synthesized SiO2@α-Fe2O3/ZnO nanocomposites exhibited a robust crystallinity and a high adsorption of dye molecules when compared to SiO2@ZnO and SiO2@α-Fe2O3 nanocomposites, respectively. The experimental results demonstrated a rapid Methylene Blue (MB) degradation among these catalysts within short intervals of time with the addition of α-Fe2O3/ZnO mixed metal oxide catalysts on the SiO2 nanospheres. Finally, a photo-Fenton reaction was implemented to confirm the presence of the hydroxyl (OH) radicals, which are powerful agents used for the degradation of organic pollutants.