Ease construction of mesoporous α-Fe₂O₃/ZnO heterostructures at diverse percentages of Fe₂O₃ was successfully achieved through the sol-gel method. The photoreduction of Hg(II) ions was conducted over newly synthesized mesoporous α-Fe₂O₃/ZnO heterostructures in the presence of formic acid as holes scavenger. 3%α-Fe₂O₃/ZnO heterojunction was exhibited remarkable improvement in the Hg(II) photoreduction through visible light exposure, with a photocatalytic efficiency ∼100% within 50 min, which was about 24 and 14 times higher than that of pristine ZnO NPs and commercial TiO₂, respectively. The apparent rate constant of mesoporous 3% α-Fe₂O₃/ZnO photocatalyst was better 65 and 36 times than that of pristine ZnO NPs and commercial TiO₂, respectively. The enhancement α-Fe₂O₃/ZnO heterojunction for Hg(II) photoreduction was ascribed by the synergistic effect, large surface/volume ratio with notably porous structure and the extended absorption capability with the improved separation of charge carriers efficiency due to fabrication of a heterojunction system. The results provide a favourable approach to fabricate mesoporous α-Fe₂O₃/ZnO heterojunction system with desirable potential photocatalysis applications.

介孔的α-Fe的便于施工₂ ö ₃在铁的多样的百分比/氧化锌异质结构₂ ö ₃通过溶胶-凝胶方法成功地实现。汞（II）离子的光还原被进行了超过新合成的介孔的α-Fe ₂ ö ₃在甲酸的存在下孔清除剂/氧化锌异质结构。3％的α-Fe ₂ ö ₃ /氧化锌异质结展出显着的改善在通过可见光曝光的汞（II）光还原，具有光催化效率〜100％的范围内50分钟，这是约24和14倍高于原始的ZnO NP和商用TiO ₂， 分别。介孔3％的α-Fe的表观速率常数₂ ö ₃ /氧化锌催化剂是更好的比原始的ZnO纳米颗粒和商业的TiO 65倍36倍₂分别。增强的α-Fe ₂ ö ₃ /氧化锌异质结对Hg（II）光还原由协同作用，大的表面/体积比特别是多孔结构，并与电荷载流子的效率的改进的分离由于制造延长吸收能力归因异质结系统。结果提供了一个有利的方法来制造中孔的α-Fe ₂ ö ₃具有期望的电势的光催化应用/氧化锌异质系统。