Constructing 3D magnetic flower-like Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Co₃O₄@BiOCl heterojunction photocatalyst for degrading rhodamine B

In this work, the 3D magnetic flower-like Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Co₃O₄@BiOCl heterojunction photocatalyst was successfully prepared. The combination of BiOCl with Co₃O₄ favored to increase specific surface area and separate photo-generated carriers of the resulting composite, resulting in the improvement of catalytic efficiency. The photocatalytic activities of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Co₃O₄@BiOCl were researched in details. In 50 min of visible light, the degradation efficiency for rhodamine B (RhB) of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Co₃O₄@BiOCl was 98.41%. It still maintained 94.22% even after three tests. Furthermore, the photodegradation mechanisms were also investigated, indicating that the improved efficiency was ascribed to the superior separation of photo-induced electron-hole pairs. This study supplies a new perception to fabricate photocatalysts for actual uses.