Pillaring and photocatalytic properties of mesoporous α-Fe2O3/titanate nanocomposites via an exfoliation and restacking route

Mesoporous α-Fe2O3-pillared titanate nanocomposites have been successfully synthesized through an exfoliation−restacking route. Powder X-ray diffraction and N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms revealed that the α-Fe2O3 pillared titanate has an interlayer distance of 3.27 nm, a specific surface area of 66 m2/g and an average pore size of 7.6 nm, suggesting the formation of a mesoporous pillared structure. UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra show a red shift, indicative of a narrow band gap energy of ∼2.1 eV compared to the host layered titanate, which is essential in creating a visible light photocatalytic activity. The results of degradation of rhodamine B reveal that the present pillared mesoporous composites exhibit better photocatalytic activities than those of the pristine materials under visible irradiation, based on the band gap excitement and the dye-sensitized path, originated from their high surface area, mesoporosity and the electronic coupling between the host and the guest components.