Investigation of photocatalytic activity through photo-thermal heating enabled by Fe3O4/TiO2 composite under magnetic field

[Display omitted] •Spinous and petaloid Fe3O4/TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized using hydrothermal method.•A magnetic-enhanced photocatalytic degradation method was developed.•Photo-thermal conversion can accelerate photocatalytic activity under the magnetic field.•Recovery rate and efficiency of magnetic nanocomposite could be adjusted by magnetic field. The significant improvement in photocatalytic activity achieved in recent years has generated widespread attention due to its utilization in solar energy. In this study, two shapes of magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized using hydrothermal method. The magnetic nanoparticles exhibited superior photocatalytic activity for water treatment, which takes into consideration the photo-thermal conversion of magnetic nanoparticles. The effect of morphology on the photo-degradation was analyzed by the specific surface area measurement and photoluminescence test. Furthermore, the suspension degradation rate with magnetic nanoparticles was enhanced by ~200% compared to a commercial photocatalyst. Moreover, the photo-degradation efficiency further increased from 96.4 to 99.6% with the magnetic field intensity increased because of the absorbance ability enhancement. This result indicates that the photocatalytic activity of a magnetic photocatalyst can be enhanced through photo-thermal conversion and magnetic field regulation, which expands the application of solar power technology.