In this work, we report the fabrication of core–shell Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 @MS (M=Pb, Zn, and Hg) microspheres through a wet-chemical approach. The Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 @MS microspheres have both ferromagnetic and photocatalytic properties. The sulfide nanoparticles on the surfaces of microspheres can degrade organic dyes under the illumination of UV light. Furthermore, the microspheres are easily separated from the solution after the photocatalytic process due to the ferromagnetic Fe 3 O 4 core. The photocatalysts can be recycled for further use with slightly lower photocatalytic efficiency.