Microwave assisted sol gel synthesis of Fe2O3@TiO2 core–shell nanocomposite for the enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light and the investigation of their optical properties

Core-shell nanocomposites (NCs) of Fe₂O₃@TiO₂ were synthesized using a microwave assisted sol–gel method in a relatively short time. These NCs were characterized using several techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The TEM images showed the formation of a ∼ 4.2 nm TiO₂ layer around the spherical Fe₂O₃ core particles. The presence of Ti 2p peaks in both the wide and narrow scan XPS spectra, along with the distinct diffraction peak in the XRD patterns, confirmed the successful synthesis of Fe₂O₃@TiO₂ NCs. Vibration sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis showed that the NCs exhibited sufficient magnetization for catalyst separation after photocatalytic tests. The photocatalytic performance of the Fe₂O₃@TiO₂ NCs was compared with that of uncoated Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles for methylene blue degradation under visible light.