Template-assisted synthesis of core-shell α-Fe2O3@TiO2 nanorods and their photocatalytic property

Novel core-shell alpha-Fe2O3@TiO2 composites were synthesized using alpha-FeOOH nanorods as hard template via a facile hydrothermal process. The as-prepared alpha-Fe2O3@TiO2 composites were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction. The effects of various experimental parameters, including thickness of TiO2 coating and calcination temperature on the morphologies of the resulted products, were systematically investigated. Then, the photocatalytic degradation Rhodamine B (RhB) is chosen as a model reaction to evaluate the catalytic performance of the as-prepared alpha-Fe2O3@TiO2 composites. The results confirmed that the present core-shell alpha-Fe2O3@TiO2 composite nanorods exhibit the efficient optical response and the photocatalytic activity from the ultraviolet to the visible region. The thickness and crystal structure of TiO2 affect the photocatalytic activity. The proposed synthesis strategy might provide a facile and effective method for developing noble semiconductors core-shell architecture nanocomposites.