Fe3O4@LDH@Ag/Ag3PO4 submicrosphere as a magnetically separable visible-light photocatalyst

A novel visible-light responsed photocatalyst Fe3O4@LDH@Ag/Ag3PO4 submicrosphere has been successfully prepared by using PO43- intercalated layered double hydroxides (LDH) layers as the intermedium for the formation of Ag3PO4 on the surface of Fe3O4@LDH microspheres. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-rays photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrum (ICP-AES), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), field emission and scanning electronic microscope (FESEM) were used to characterize the products. It was found that LDH and Ag/Ag3PO4 layers were successively coated on the Fe3O4 surface. PO43- intercalated LDH played an important role in the formation of Ag/Ag3PO4 nanoparticle on the surface of Fe3O4@LDH microspheres. The studies of photocatalytic degradation on Methylene blue (MB) indicate that the Fe3O4@LDH@Ag/Ag3PO4 photocatalyst showed efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic activities for degradation of organic pollutants. Furthermore, the photocatalyst could be easily separated from wastewater for reuse by simply applying an external magnetic field. This work provides a facile approach to fabricate novel type of visible-light-responsed photocatalyst for environment treatment. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.