Synthesis and characterization of γ-Fe2O3/C nanocomposite as an efficient catalyst for the degradation of methylene blue

Magnetic gamma-Fe2O3/C nanocomposite was successfully synthesized by a facile approach in which Fe3O4/Starch was firstly obtained by one-pot precipitation method, and then starch was carbonized through calcination accompanied by the oxidation of Fe3O4 to gamma-Fe2O3. The as-prepared gamma-Fe2O3/C was introduced to the application of wastewater treatment, and methylene blue (MB) was used to simulate the oxidative degradation process of organic pollutants. Carbon coexisted in the gamma-Fe2O3/C nanocomposite could well serve as a preconcentrator of MB dyes and consequently the catalytic performance was strongly enhanced. Moreover, the gamma-Fe2O3/C catalyst could be easily recycled by magnetic separation for effective reuse. This work not only prepared gamma-Fe2O3/C nanocomposite by a quite facile method, but also successfully employed it as a catalyst for degradation of organic pollutants under mild condition.