Synthesis of Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2-Ag Photo-Catalytic Nano-structures with an Effective Silica Shell for Degradation of Methylene blue

In this research, Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2-Ag (FST-Ag) nanoparticles were provided with chemical techniques (sol-gel) during successive steps. At first, Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthesized via co-precipitation method. Then, Fe3O4/SiO2 (FS) core/shell particles were prepared in presence of different amounts of TEOS precursor. Next, deposition of TiO2 shells was obtained using hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) polymer (as a surfactant) to prevent the agglomeration. Finally, Ag nanoparticles deposited on Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2 (FST) core/shell/shell structure using polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) polymer. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, FESEM (with EDX), and TEM techniques. Magnetic properties of the prepared composites were studied by VSM. The result revealed Fe3O4/SiO2/TiO2-Ag nanoparticle photo-catalyst with core/shell magnetic structure were synthesized successfully at each step in presences of suitable additives. Photocatalytic performance of the nanoparticles indicated that Ag nanoparticles increased the removal of methylene blue up to 83% after 3 h. The magnetic properties of these particles also showed that after deposition of layers, nanoparticles have a good ability for the recovery and separation from the solution.