Preparation of Pt–Fe2O3 nano-electrode array on gold nano-wires and its application to the catalytic degradation of methyl orange

A novel method to prepare Pt–Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) for organic matter degradation was developed in this study. The main feature of this study was to prepare a gold nano-wire substrate through integration of holographic lithography, microfabrication techniques and electrochemical co-deposition methods. The catalytic gold nano-wire substrate was used for the electrochemical co-deposition of Pt–Fe2O3 NPs. The surface morphology of the prepared Pt–Fe2O3 NPs was characterized by scanning electron microscope imaging. It was found that the Pt–Fe2O3 NPs formed upon the Au nano-wire surface and in the gap between the adjacent nanowires. The X-ray photoelectron spectrum analysis showed that Pt and Fe2O3 were the main chemical components of the NPs. The Pt–Fe2O3 NPs exhibited a high electrochemical catalytic activity toward methyl orange (MO) degradation under neutral condition, with 93.5% of MO degraded within 6 h at the voltage of −1.5 V. It demonstrated a high potential to be used for degradation of azo dyes under neutral conditions without the addition of any chemical agent and causing any further pollution problem.