Construction of amorphous carbon-coated alpha-Fe 2 O 3 core–shell nanostructure for efficient photocatalytic performance

Hetero-structured semiconductor composite as an ideal multifunctional photocatalyst has significant advantage for the improvement of photocatalytic efficiency. Here, core–shell hetero-structured α-Fe 2 O 3 @Carbon (α-Fe 2 O 3 @C) composite including of α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles (NPs) inner-core and amorphous carbon outer-shell was successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method. The experiment results indicate that the present core–shell structure has a remarkable impact on the interfacial synergies. The possible photocatalytic mechanism of core–shell α-Fe 2 O 3 @C composite is investigated in detail. Thanks to the following advantages: the core–shell structure provides more heterogeneous interfaces, so the incident light would be reflected multiply and enhanced the light absorption capacity. In addition, the heterogeneous interface synergistic effect between amorphous carbon and α-Fe 2 O 3 as the bridge gives rise to a rapid approach to transport photo-induced carriers and thus enhances the electronic transfer capacity. It is anticipated that the core–shell nanostructure provides a neoteric mentality for designing superior photocatalysts with outstanding advantageous features applicable to, among others, hydrogen generation, green energy, water splitting, etc.