Photocatalytic activity of magnetically separable La-doped TiO₂/CoFe₂O₄ nanofibers prepared by two-spinneret electrospinning

A novel magnetically separable composite photocatalyst—〈La-doped TiO₂〉/CoFe₂O₄ nanofiber—was prepared by a two-spinneret electrospinning method combined with sol–gel method. The nanofibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). It was shown that the diameter of 〈1.0% La-doped TiO₂〉/CoFe₂O₄ nanofibers was 100–150 nm after calcination at 600 °C for 2 h. EDS and XPS measurements on the photocatalytic material indicated the existence of La³⁺ oxidation states in 〈1.0% La-doped TiO₂〉/CoFe₂O₄ nanofibers. The photocatalytic activity of as-prepared nanofibers was evaluated using methylene blue (MB) as a model organic compound and the result revealed that the 〈1.0% La-doped TiO₂〉/CoFe₂O₄ nanofibers have an efficient photocatalytic property, and the degradation rate of MB could reach 93% in 150 min. Moreover, the magnetic property of the nanofibers has also been characterized, and the nanofibers show a good magnetic response, which indicates that the possibility of the magnetic nanofibers’ potential recycling property.