Application of pea-like yolk–shell structured Fe3O4@TiO2 nanosheets for photocatalytic and photo-Fenton oxidation of bisphenol-A

Abstract

Uniform pea-like yolk–shell (PLYS) structured magnetic TiO₂(PLYS-Fe₃O₄@TiO₂) nanosheets have been prepared via a combined kinetics-controlled mechanical force-driven and hydrothermal etching assisted crystallization method and characterized. The resulting PLYS-Fe₃O₄@TiO₂ nanosheets possess well defined yolk–shell structures with a large BET surface area (∼187.26 m² g⁻¹) and a strong magnetic susceptibility (∼17.4 emu g⁻¹). The reaction rate constant was 24.2 × 10⁻² min⁻¹ as a result of oxidative decomposition of BPA using UV/PLYS-Fe₃O₄@TiO₂/H₂O₂ system. This is 1.1 and 8.34 times faster than the BPA decomposition reaction rate constant in UV/TiO₂/H₂O₂ and UV/Fe₃O₄/H₂O₂ systems, respectively. The synthesized catalyst also exhibited excellent recycle capability and excellent acid decomposition performance.