Photocatalytic Property of Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2 Core-Shell Nanoparticle with Different Functional Layer Thicknesses

This study examined the different properties of Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2 (FST) core-shell nanoparticles encapsulated for one to five different times, represented as FST1 to FST5, respectively. These FST nanoparticles were obtained using the carbon reduction and sol-gel methods, and their properties were characterized by various tools, such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, vibratory sample magnetometer, laser granularity apparatus, and specific surface area analyzer. The relationship between irradiation time and decoloration ratio indicates that FST2 demonstrated significant efficiency in the decolorization of methyl orange (MO) under UV light. Further study on recycle activity showed that FST2 had a high decoloration rate after four cycles of photocatalysis, and its degradation of MO was well aligned with the apparent first-order kinetic equation. Furthermore, FST2 exhibited the highest apparent rate in the first cycle. All these results demonstrate that the recoverable FST2 possessed excellent photocatalytic activity while maintaining outstanding stability for further applications, such as managing environmental pollution