Mesoporous magnetically recyclable photocatalysts for water treatment

Photocatalysis over titanium dioxide is a promising technology for water purification and degradation of emerging contaminants, however, catalyst efficiency and recovery after the photocatalytic reaction are key challenges that have limited the practical deployment of TiO2 in water treatment applications. Herein we report the synthesis of core-shell, superparamagnetic gamma-Fe2O3@SiO2@TiO2 colloidal nanospheres with a mesoporous TiO2 shell, their characterization, and application in photocatalysis. The final surface area of the particles was - 100 m2 g(-1), and their photocatalytic efficiency matched that of P25 TiO2.