Controllable fabrication of iron oxide/oxyhydroxide with diverse nanostructures and their excellent performance in visible light induced photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B.

Alpha-FeOOH and alpha-Fe2O3 with diverse morphologies (sea hedgehog-like, array-like, nanorod-like and nanoparticle-like) were synthesized through a simple and facile solvent-mediated method. The products with different morphologies can be prepared by adjusting the concentration of ferrous ions, reaction temperature and the pH value of the reaction solution in the rationally designed synthesis routes. All the products had a high BET surface area and exhibited an excellent catalytic ability in visible light induced degradation of rhodamine B.