A novel magnetically separable photocatalyst comprising hollow TiO2-SiO2-CoFe2O4 (TSC) was prepared. In the TSC photocatalyst, an SiO2 interlayer between CoFe2O4 core and TiO2 shell is used to both weaken adverse influence of the magnetic core on photocatalysis and increase the temperature of the transition from anatase to rutile phase TiO2, thus increasing the anatase TiO2 crystallinity. Such an interlayer promotes photocatalytic activity by changing the competition between the injecting process and reacting process of the photogenerated carriers. The photocatalytic activity of TSC was determined for degradation of dye molecules in water under either UV or visible light. The photocatalytic reaction of cationic dyes was governed by (OH)-O-center dot radicals, while O-2(center dot-) was the main active species in the initial photoreaction of anionic dyes. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.