New Approach Toward Nanosized Ferrous Ferric Oxide and Fe₃O₄-doped Titanium Dioxide Photocatalysts

In this article, ferrous ferric oxide and Fe₃O₄-doped titanium dioxide have been synthesized by a low-temperature sol−gel process. In particular, we studied the structural characteristics of newly synthesized photosensitive catalysts and their photocatalytic abilities under UV and visible light irradiation. The elemental composition, surface area, crystallinity, and morphology of synthesized catalysts were characterized by Fourier transformation infrared spectrophotometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy with selected area electron diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The UV−vis transmission, ζ-potential, and cytotoxicity of the synthesized catalysts are also discussed. It is anticipated that the synthesized ferrous ferric oxide arrays a prospective photocatalyst substitute for titanium dioxide.