Flexible 3D Fe@VO₂ core-shell mesh: A highly efficient and easy-recycling catalyst for the removal of organic dyes

Nowadays, it is extremely urgent to search for efficient and effective catalysts for water purification due to the severe worldwide water-contamination crises. Here, 3D Fe@VO₂ core-shell mesh, a highly efficient catalyst toward removal of organic dyes with excellent recycling ability in the dark is designed and developed for the first time. This novel core-shell structure is actually 304 stainless steel mesh coated by VO₂, fabricated by an electrophoretic deposition method. In such a core-shell structure, Fe as the core allows much easier separation from the water, endowing the catalyst with a flexible property for easy recycling, while VO₂ as the shell is highly efficient in degradation of organic dyes with the addition of H₂O₂. More intriguingly, the 3D Fe@VO₂ core-shell mesh exhibits favorable performance across a wide pH range. The 3D Fe@VO₂ core-shell mesh can decompose organic dyes both in a light-free condition and under visible irradiation. The possible catalytic oxidation mechanism of Fe@VO₂/H₂O₂ system is also proposed in this work. Considering its facile fabrication, remarkable catalytic efficiency across a wide pH range, and easy recycling characteristic, the 3D Fe@VO₂ core-shell mesh is a newly developed high-performance catalyst for addressing the universal water crises.