Magnetically retrievable Bi 2 WO 6 /Fe 3 O 4 /Na-MMT composite: fabrication and photocatalytic activity

Magnetically retrievable bismuth tungstate/iron oxide/sodium montmorillonite composite (Bi 2 WO 6 /Fe 3 O 4 /Na-MMT) was synthesized via a simple solvothermal process. The structure and morphology of as-synthesized composite have been investigated by a series of characterization techniques, the photocatalytic performance was evaluated through the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation, and the possible photodegradation mechanism also has been proposed based on the active species trapping experiments. The results indicated that the Fe 3 O 4 /Na-MMT as a magnetic carrier shows excellent adsorption capacity and electron transfer performance, and the h + radicals could be the main active species in the photocatalytic degradation of RhB. Furthermore, the composite exhibited an extraordinary enhanced photocatalytic activity, much more higher than those of the pure Bi 2 WO 6 and montmorillonite samples, and the composite possesses great paramagnetic properties that contribute a magnetically retrievable performance for solid–liquid separation.