Synthesis and photocatalytic application of α-Fe2O3/ZnO fine particles prepared by two-step chemical method

Composite iron oxide-Zinc oxide (α-Fe2O3/ZnO) was synthesized by two-step method: in the first one step uniform α-Fe2O3 particles were prepared through a hydrolysis process of ferric chloride at 80 °C. In the second step, the ZnO particles were included in the α-Fe2O3 particles by a zinc acetate [Zn(Ac)2·2H2O] assisted hydrothermal method at low temperature (90°C±C). The α-Fe2O3 and ZnO phases were identified by XRD, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The photoreactivities of α-Fe2O3/ZnO nanoparticles under UV irradiation were quantified by the degradation of formaldehyde.