Magnetically Separable and Recyclable γ-Fe2O3/HAp/Ag3PO4 Composite Microsheets: Fabrication, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Performance

Abstract In this work, magnetically separable and recyclable γ-Fe 2 O 3 /HAp/Ag 3 PO 4 composite microsheets were prepared by hydrothermal and in-situ ion-exchange methods, in which photoactive Ag 3 PO 4 nanoparticles and magnetic γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles are distributed on the hydroxyapatite (HAp) microsheets. Characterization of the samples was performed by XRD, FE-SEM, EDS, FT-IR, and VSM. The photocatalytic performance of the samples was checked by investigating the degradation process of four different organic dyes under visible-light irradiation. Photocatalytic experiments reveal that all γ-Fe 2 O 3 /HAp/Ag 3 PO 4 samples show certain photocatalytic activities for the degradation of OII, and the degradation rate is different when diverse γ-Fe 2 O 3 /HAp/Ag 3 PO 4 samples are added into the OII solution. FHA-4 exhibits the highest degradation rate, and it could degrade different organic dyes, which means it has the potential to be applied into the treatment of complex wastewater containing different organic dyes. In addition, FHA-4 exhibits ferromagnetic feature, and can be easily separated from water by an external magnetic field.