The Study on Degradation and Separation of RhB Under UV Light by Magnetically ZnO/Fe₂O₃ Nanoparticles

Abstract

Different percentages of Fe 2 O 3 are composited with ZnO via a chemical precipitation method which is shown to be more efficient and convenient than other methods. The obtained products are analyzed by using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis diffuse reflection spectra (DRS), photoluminescence (PL), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Rhodamine B (RhB) dye is used as a simulated pollutant to cause degradation under UV light. Degradation efficiency is used to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the composite catalysts. Compared with other samples, the results indicate that 7 wt.% ZnO/Fe 2 O 3 composite shows the highest photocatalytic activity for RhB dye. Furthermore, the particles reduce secondary pollution and prolong the service life of the photocatalyst. The addition of a magnetic carrier allows the composite catalyst to be better separated from the reflection media.