Flowerlike γ-Fe2O3@NiO hierarchical core-shell nanostructures as superb capability and magnetically separable adsorbents for water treatment

Abstract

Sorption is thought to be a versatile and effective approach for the removal of water pollutants and has been widely used in water purification. In this work, we have synthesized flowerlike γ-Fe₂O₃@NiO core-shell hierarchical nanostructures though a facile method. The NiO shell can be easily controlled by altering the concentration of the nickel source. The obtained flowerlike γ-Fe₂O₃@NiO core-shell hierarchical nanostructures exhibit superb adsorption capability as adsorbents for the removal of toxic pollutants from waste water. Importantly, the flowerlike γ-Fe₂O₃@NiO core-shell hierarchical nanostructures still retained this adsorption activity even after being recycled three times with the help of an external magnetic field. Furthermore, the magnetic flowerlike γ-Fe₂O₃@NiO core-shell hierarchical nanostructures may have potential practical use in catalysis, lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors and so on.