Fabrication of magnetically recyclable yolk-shell Fe₃O₄@TiO₂ nanosheet/Ag/g-C₃N₄ microspheres for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants

Herein, we report the fabrication of Fe₃O₄@TiO₂ nanosheet/Ag/g-C₃N₄ (Fe₃O₄@ns-TiO₂/Ag/g-C₃N₄) composite photocatalysts with well-designed hierarchical yolk-shell structure. To endow the composites with fascinating features, multiple functional components are perfectly integrated into the definite structure. The photodegradation experiments of organic pollutants revealed a significant enhancement in photocatalytic activity of developed composites as compared to P25, which is mainly due to the synergetic interaction of the tailored three-dimensional (3D) yolk-shell porous nanostructure, extended sunlight response range, and retarded the recombination probability of photogenerated electrons-holes. More importantly, the hybrid samples exhibited superior magnetic properties due to the magnetic component. The excellent magnetic recyclability and reusability of the photocatalysts are verified by the magnetic hysteresis loop and cyclic photocatalytic degradation experiments, which is significant for the green and sustainable applications of photocatalysts. Considering its remarkable photocatalytic performance and expectant magnetic recyclability, the composite photocatalysts are expected to be a promising candidate to dispose of future environmental issues. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]