Photocatalytic degradation of gaseous toluene over hollow "spindle-like" α-Fe2O3 loaded with Ag

Highlights: ► Hollow α-Fe2O3 spindle-shaped microparticles were prepared for Ag support. ► The hollow α-Fe2O3 and Ag/α-Fe2O3 materials were used to degrade gaseous toluene. ► Complete degradation of toluene occurred on the Ag/α-Fe2O3 surface. -- Abstract: In this work, hollow "spindle-like" α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were synthesized by a hydrothermal route. The Ag/α-Fe2O3 catalyst was prepared based on the spindle-shaped α-Fe2O3 with CTAB as the surfactant, which showed excellent photoelectric property and photocatalytic activity. The structural properties of these samples were systematically investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electronic microscopy, transmission electronic microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectra, and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy techniques. The photo-induced charge separation in the samples was demonstrated by surface photovoltage measurement. The photocatalytic performances of the Ag/α-Fe2O3 and α-Fe2O3 samples were comparatively studied in the degradation of toluene under xenon lamp irradiation by in situ FTIR spectroscopy. Benzaldehyde and benzoic acid species could be observed on the α-Fe2O3 surface rather than Ag/α-Fe2O3 surface. The results indicate that the Ag/α-Fe2O3 sample exhibited higher photocatalytic efficiency.