Hollow ZnFe sub(2)O sub(4)/TiO sub(2) composites: High-performance and recyclable visible-light photocatalyst

Visible-light-absorbing compounds that generate reactive oxygen species in water are needed to maximize the degradation rate of organic dye under incident solar radiation. In this study, hollow ZnFe sub(2)O sub(4) and ZnFe sub(2)O sub(4)/TiO sub(2) composites were prepared by coprecipitation and microemulsion method, respectively. The structure and morphology of as-prepared samples as well as their magnetic properties and photocatalytic degradation activities on methyl orange and rhodamine B solution were investigated in detail. The results show that ZnFe sub(2)O sub(4)/TiO sub(2) composites have excellent performance on photocatalytic degradation of dye in wastewater under visible light. Especially, the photocatalytic degradation activity of the composite with [omega] sub(TiO2) 25% on dye in wastewater was comparable to that of pure titanium dioxide (under UV light). Also, all samples show good stability, and are easy to recycle. This work demonstrates a cost-effective, recyclable, environment-friendly and simple way to directly degrade organic dye in wastewater by means of photocatalysis.