Novel magnetically recoverable Fe(iii)- and Mn(iii)salophen complexes were designed for the effective degradation of hazardous organic dyes using a heterogeneous advanced oxidation process.

In this work, the construction of two heterojunction photocatalysts by coordinative anchoring of M(salophen)Cl complexes (M = Fe(III) and Mn(III)) to rutile TiO 2 through a silica−aminopyridine linker (SAPy) promotes the visible-light-assisted photodegradation of organic dyes. The degradation efficiency of both cationic rhodamine B (RhB) and anionic methyl orange (MO) dyes by Fe− and Mn−TiO 2 -based catalysts in the presence of H 2 O 2 under sunlight and low-wattage visible bulbs (12−18 W) is investigated. Anionic MO is more degradable than cationic RhB, and the Mn catalyst shows more activity than its Fe counterpart. Action spectra demonstrate the maximum apparent quantum efficiency (AQY) at 400−450 nm, confirming the visible-light-driven photocatalytic reaction. The enhanced photocatalytic activity might be attributed to the improved charge transfer in the heterojunction photocatalysts evidenced by photoluminescence (PL) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses. A radical pathway for the photodegradation of dyes is postulated based on scavenging experiments and spectral data. This work provides new opportunities for constructing highly efficient catalysts for wastewater treatment.

A novel magnetically recoverable catalyst was produced by coordinative attachment of Co(II) salophen complex to silica iminopyridine (SIPy)‐functionalized‐γ‐Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles (SMNP@SIPy/Co(II) salophen). The vibration spectra and compositional data provided sufficient evidences for the structural integrity of as‐prepared organic–inorganic nanohybrid. The magnetic nanocatalyst proved to be an efficient and selective heterogeneous catalyst for oxidation of different benzylic alcohols and featured higher catalytic activity and stability than that of homogenous counterpart. A TOF of 151 h−1 and TON of more than 322 were obtained for oxidation of 4‐cholrobenzyl alcohol in this catalytic system. The supported catalyst could easily be recovered from the reaction mixture by an external magnetic field and reused for subsequent experiments with consistent catalytic activity.