One-pot solvothermal synthesis of multi-shelled α-Fe2O3 hollow spheres with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

α-Fe2O3 hollow spheres with novel multiple porous shells were successfully prepared by a facile solvothermal treatment of carbon spheres and FeCl3⋅6H2O in ethylene glycol at 200 °C for 10 h, followed by calcination in air at 500 °C for 3 h. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the crystalline structure and morphology of the multi-shelled hollow spheres, and a possible growth mechanism of multiple shells was discussed. Furthermore, the as-obtained products exhibit enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) in the presence of H2O2.

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► α-Fe2O3 hollow spheres with novel multiple porous shells were synthesized.
► Solvothermal method and carbon sphere templates were used to prepare α-Fe2O3 multi-shelled hollow spheres.
► A possible growth mechanism of the multiple shells was discussed.
► The as-obtained samples exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B.