Preparation of β-ferrous oxalate dihydrate layered nanosheets by mechanochemical method and its visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance

This article reported a facile route to prepare β-ferrous oxalate dihydrate layered nanosheets using ferrous sulfate and oxalic acid by simple mechanochemical (grinding) method and convert to α-FeOx by aging treatment at 100 °C for 10 h. As-obtained samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction patterns, scanning electron microscopy images, Fourier transform infrared spectra and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection spectra, respectively. Their photocatalytic performances were evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B under visible-light illumination. It was found that both were efficient photocatalysts.