Abstract:
The application of a novel BiFeO3 (BFO)–Fe2O3 composite (called BFOF) as a photocatalyst for the
degradation of methylene blue is reported. To improve the photocatalytic effectiveness of BiFeO3, we
synthesized the first BFOF photocatalyst by adjusting the molar ratio of Fe2O3 in BiFeO3 using
microwave-assisted co-precipitation. The UV-visible properties of the nanocomposites showed excellent
absorption of visible light and reduced electron–hole recombination properties compared to the pure
phase BFO. Photocatalytic studies on BFOF10 (90% BFO, 10% Fe2O3), BFOF20 (80% BFO, 20% Fe2O3),
and BFOF30 (70% BFO, 30% Fe2O3) have shown that they decompose Methylene Blue (MB) in sunlight
better than the pure BFO phase in 70 minutes. The BFOF30 photocatalyst was the most effective at
reducing MB when exposed to visible light (94%). Magnetic studies confirm that the most effective
catalyst BFOF30 has excellent stability and magnetic recovery properties due to the presence of
magnetic phase Fe2O3 in the BFO.
