Efficient methylene blue dye removal using hybrid ZnO/Co/Cs photocatalyst beads

Abstract

This study highlighted the developments of the hybrid photocatalytic system for wastewater treatment in the textile industry. Chitosan (Cs) and cobalt (Co) were introduced into the conventional catalyst zinc oxide (ZnO) to form the hybrid photocatalyst beads. Four different weight ratios of ZnO/Cs (1:1) and ZnO/Co/Cs (1:1:1, 1:2:1 and 2:1:1) beads were synthesized by the sol-gel method. The photocatalytic degradation properties of the hybrid ZnO/Co/Cs were investigated under visible light irradiation for methylene blue (MB) photodegradation. The study focused on the effect of ZnO/Co/Cs composition ratio, irradiation time and the amount of catalyst loading in the photoreactor for five hours of exposure time. The result was that the 1:1:1 ZnO/Co/Cs photocatalyst beads had the highest degradation rate compared to the other systems. Adding Co to the ZnO/Cs photocatalyst improved the photocatalytic activity by increasing the decolourization percentage of methylene blue