Construction of zinc-magnesium-iron multinary spinel core-shell microspheres with enhanced photocatalytic properties of 1, 2-dichlorobenzene toxic species

Rational design and construction of high-quality multicomponent spinel ferrite with specific microstructures and solar light harvesting capabilities are highly desirable towards photocatalytic applications. In this study, novel zinc-magnesium-iron multinary spinel core-shell microspheres have firstly been prepared by an one-step solvothermal method following by the photocatalytic degradation of gaseous 1, 2-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) under simulated sunlight (λ > 400 nm). It has been observed that the spinel catalyst showed marvelous catalytic performance due to the interfacial structure and specific physical-chemical characteristics including high electron-hole migration rate and strong absorption capacity, etc. Furthermore, the density functional theory (DFT) has been employed to further investigate the electronic structure and density of states (DOS). The study provides new insights into the molecular design of multinary spinel and the relationship of structural property and catalytic performance.