Preparations and photocatalytic properties of magnetically separable nitrogen-doped TiO2 supported on nickel ferrite

A magnetically separable nitrogen-doped photocatalyst TiO2−xNx/SiO2/NiFe2O4 (TSN) with a typical ferromagnetic hysteresis was prepared by a simple process: the magnetic SiO2/NiFe2O4 (SN) dispersion prepared by a liquid catalytic phase transformation method and the visible-light-active photocatalyst TiO2−xNx were mixed, sonificated, dried, and calcined at 400 °C. The prepared photocatalyst is photoactive under visible light irradiation and easy to be separated from a slurry-type photoreactor under the application of an external magnetic field, being one of promising photocatalysts for wastewater treatment. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) were used to characterize the structure of the TSN photocatalyst. The results indicate that the magnetic SiO2/NiFe2O4 (SN) nanoparticles adhere to the surface of TiO2−xNx congeries. The magnetic photocatalyst TSN shows high catalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange in water under UV and visible light irradiation (λ > 400 nm). SiO2 coating round the surface of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles prevents effectively the injection of charges from TiO2 particles to NiFe2O4, which gives rise to the increase in photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the recycled TSN exhibits a good repeatability of the photocatalytic activity.