Facile synthesis of α-Fe 2 O 3 /diatomite composite for visible light assisted degradation of Rhodamine 6G in aqueous solution

α-Fe 2 O 3 particle supported on diatomite (α-Fe 2 O 3 /diatomite composite) was prepared at room temperature by the chemical precipitation method using ferrous sulphate as the raw material and diatomite as supporter. α-Fe 2 O 3 /diatomite composite was characterized by XRD, FE-SEM, FT-IR and DRS. The result showed that α-Fe 2 O 3 was uniformly loaded on the diatomite. The photocatalytic activity was investigated under visible light toward degradation of Rhodamine 6G aqueous solution and the effects of various experimental factors on Rhodamine 6G degradation were investigated. Compared with the α-Fe 2 O 3 , α-Fe 2 O 3 /diatomite composite had significantly enhanced activity in the degradation of Rhodamine 6G under visible light irradiation. Besides, the photostability of catalysts was also investigated. The experimental results indicated that the prepared composite is a promising material for the wastewater treatment for its good catalytic performance property and long-term stability.