Preparation of photocatalytic Fe2O3–TiO2 coatings in one step by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

There are two major difficulties in the TiO2 liquid–solid photocatalytic system: effective immobilization of the TiO2 particles; and improving the catalytic activity under visible light. To simultaneously solve these two problems, Fe2O3–TiO2 coatings supported on activated carbon fiber (ACF), have been prepared in one step by a convenient and efficient method—metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). XRD results revealed that Fe2O3–TiO2 coatings mainly composed of anatase TiO2, α-Fe2O3 phases and little Fe2Ti3O9. The pore structure of ACF was preserved well after loading with Fe2O3–TiO2 coatings. UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra showed a slight shift to longer wavelengths and an enhancement of the absorption in the visible region for Fe2O3–TiO2 coatings, compared to the pure TiO2 sample. A moderate Fe2O3–TiO2 loading (13.7 wt%) was beneficial to mineralizing wastewater because the intermediates could be adsorbed onto the surface of photocatalyst following decomposition. The stable performance revealed that the Fe2O3–TiO2 coatings were strongly adhered to the ACF surface, and the as prepared catalysts could be reused showing potential application for wastewater treatment.