Synthesis and characterization of Fe3O4/TiO2 magnetic and photocatalyst bifunctional core-shell with superparamagnetic performance

In this research a simple method has been presented to coat magnetic nanoparticles with TiO2. Firstly, Fe3O4 nanoparticles have been prepared using a co-precipitation method. Thereafter, in order to achieve particles with better dispersibility, the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles has been modified with the help of trisodium citrate as stabilizer. Afterward, Fe3O4 / TiO2 core-shell nanocomposites were synthesized by the Stober method. The prepared samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). XRD results show the formation of two compounds of crystalline magnetite and brookite-type TiO2 . TEM images confirmed the formation of their core-shell structure. The surface modification of magnetite nanoparticles using trisodium citrate was confirmed by FTIR analysis. Magnetic studies also indicated that prepared core-shells exhibit superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature. Combining this property with the photocatalytic ability of TiO2 could result in a synthesized nanocomposite with different medical and environmental applications.