Photocatalyst particles containing ferromagnetic metal particles and method for synthesis thereof

Abstract

Photocatalyst particles consist essentially of a matrix consisting of the crystal phase of a semiconducting metal oxide as a photocatalyst and ferromagnetic metal particles dispersed in the matrix, having an average particle diameter of 15 nm at most and a specific surface area of 100 m.sup.2 /g at least, and permitting recovery by a magnetic force. A method for the production of the photocatalyst particles consists essentially of dispersing water in a hydrophobic organic solvent containing a surfactant thereby forming a microemulsion, adding to the microemulsion a raw material for the formation of the crystal phase of a semiconducting metal oxide as a photocatalyst and a raw material for the formation of ferromagnetic metal particles, causing the raw materials contained in the mixture resulting from the preceding step to undergo hydrolysis and inducing precipitation of the hydroxide and oxide thereof in the resultant mixture, separating the precipitates from the resultant mixture, and heat-treating the separated precipitates under a reducing condition.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.