Magnetic NiFe2O4/BiOBr composites: One-pot combustion synthesis and enhanced visible-light phbtocatalytic properties

Magnetic NiFe2O4/BiOBr composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity for degradation of Rhodamine B were synthesized by a simple one-pot combustion method. The structures, morphologies, optical, magnetic and visible-light photocatalytic properties of as-prepared samples were characterized. Experimental results showed that NiFe2O4/BiOBr composites with different molar ratios of NiFe2O4 to BiOBr (0-0.2) were successfully obtained. The photodegradation performance of as-prepared photocatalysts gradually increases with increasing molar ratio of NiFe2O4/BiOBr. The composite with a NiFe2O4/BiOBr mole ratio of 0.2 shows the best visible-light photodegradation performance of Rhodamine B, which can be ascribed to the efficient separation of photo-generated electrons and holes. The magnetic properties of NiFe2O4/BiOBr photocatalysts ensure the magnetic separation by using a magnet. Moreover, no obvious deterioration was observed after six-cycle photodegradation experiments. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.