Visible-Light-Responsive Nanofibrous α-Fe2O3 Integrated FeOx Cluster-Templated Siliceous Microsheets for Rapid Catalytic Phenol Removal and Enhanced Antibacterial Activity.

Visible-light-driven environmental contaminants control using 2D photocatalytic nanomaterials with an unconfined reaction-diffusion path is advantageous for public health. Here, cost-effective siliceous composite microsheets (FeSiO-MS) combined with two distinct refined α-Fe2O3 nanospecies as photofunctional catalysts were constructed via a one-pot synthesis approach. Through precise control of Fe2+ precursor addition, specially configured α-Fe2O3 nanofibers combined with FeOx cluster-functionalized siliceous microsheets of ∼15 nm gradually evolved from the iron oxide-bearing molecular sieve, endowing a superior light-response characteristic of the formed nanocomposite. The catalytic experiment along with the ESR study demonstrated that the produced FeSiO-MS showed reinforced photo-Fenton reactivity, which was effective for rapid phenol degradation under visible light radiation. Moreover, the phenol removal process was found to be regulated by the specially configured types and concentrations of iron oxides. Notably, the obtained composites exhibited a considerable visible-light-induced bactericidal effect against E. coli. The constructed FeSiO-MS nanocomposites as integrated and eco-friendly photocatalysts exhibit enormous potentials for environmental and hygienic application.