Preparation of photocatalytic Fe2O3-TiO2 coatings in one step by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

There are two major difficulties in the TiO₂ liquid-solid photocatalytic system: effective immobilization of the TiO₂ particles; and improving the catalytic activity under visible light. To simultaneously solve these two problems, Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings supported on activated carbon fiber (ACF), have been prepared in one step by a convenient and efficient method—metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). XRD results revealed that Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings mainly composed of anatase TiO₂, α-Fe₂O₃ phases and little Fe₂Ti₃O₉. The pore structure of ACF was preserved well after loading with Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings. UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra showed a slight shift to longer wavelengths and an enhancement of the absorption in the visible region for Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings, compared to the pure TiO₂ sample. A moderate Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ loading (13.7 wt%) was beneficial to mineralizing wastewater because the intermediates could be adsorbed onto the surface of photocatalyst following decomposition. The stable performance revealed that the Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ coatings were strongly adhered to the ACF surface, and the as prepared catalysts could be reused showing potential application for wastewater treatment.