Frontiers in Chemistry (Feb 2019)

Controlled Synthesis of Hollow α-Fe2O3 Microspheres Assembled With Ionic Liquid for Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity

  • Hang Yin,
  • YuLing Zhao,
  • Qingsong Hua,
  • Jianmin Zhang,
  • Yuansai Zhang,
  • Xijin Xu,
  • Yunze Long,
  • Jie Tang,
  • Fengyun Wang,
  • Fengyun Wang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2019.00058
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7

Abstract

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Porous self-assembled α-Fe2O3 hollow microspheres were fabricated via an ionic liquid-assisted solvothermal reaction and sequential calcinations. The concentration of the ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [C4Mim]BF4) was found to play a crucial role in the control of these α-Fe2O3 hollow structures. Trace amounts ionic liquid was used as the soft template to synthesize α-Fe2O3 hollow spheres with a large specific surface (up to 220 m2/g). Based on time-dependent experiments, the proposed formation mechanisms were presented. Under UV light irradiation, the as-synthesized α-Fe2O3 hollow spheres exhibited excellent photocatalysis in Rhodamine B (RhB) photodegradation and the rate constant was 2–3 times higher than α-Fe2O3 particles. The magnetic properties of α-Fe2O3 hollow structures were found to be closely associated with the shape anisotropy.

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