Formation of α-Fe2O3/FeOOH nanostructures with various morphologies by a hydrothermal route and their photocatalytic properties

A series of α-Fe2O3/FeOOH nanostructures with different morphologies have successfully been synthesized based on K4[Fe(CN)6] at 140 °C by a novel hydrothermal method. The morphology and phase of α-Fe2O3/FeOOH can be controlled by adjusting the reaction time. UV–vis absorption spectrum, X-ray powder diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy analyses were used to characterize the resulting products. A detailed, rational mechanism is proposed for the formation of α-Fe2O3/FeOOH nanostructures. The potential applications of the as-synthesized α-Fe2O3/FeOOH nanoparticles with different morphologies on photocatalytic decomposition of salicylic acid were also investigated.