Controlled synthesis and magnetically separable photocatalytic properties of magnetic iron oxides@SnO2 yolk–shell nanocapsules

Abstract

Yolk–shell structured superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) catalysts with mesoporous SnO₂ shells with different thicknesses and tunable void spaces have been fabricated by a rapid and simple templating method. The resulting hybrid SPIO@SnO₂ yolk–shell nanocapsules (NCs) exhibit high efficiency photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B and could be reused up to five times by magnetic separation, showing their potential as candidates for practical applications in environmental protection. Moreover, the possible mechanism for the formation of the SPIO@SnO₂ yolk–shell NCs was also discussed.