Synthesis and characterization of Fe3O4/MethylCellulose@Pb as a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for photodegradation of different dyes

Abstract

With the development of industry, serious pollution has emerged in water resources. This poses serious problems for the health of living things and the environment. To deliver a sustainable future, producing effective, low-cost, and reusable photocatalysts in wastewater treatment is important. In this study, Fe₃O₄/MetCel@Pb photocatalysts were synthesized for the first time. The properties of Fe₃O₄/MetCel@Pb photocatalysts were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrophotometry (UV–Vis), Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM), Electron Spin Resonance (ESR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The average particle size, surface area, band gap energy, saturation magnetization, resonance magnetic field, and g-factor values of the Fe₃O₄/MetCel@Pb photocatalysts measured as 63.88 nm, 40.59 m² g⁻¹, 5.71 eV, 24.80 emu g⁻¹, 390.15 mT, and 1.731, respectively. XPS analysis showed signals confirming strong CO bonds, FeO bonds, Fe²⁺, and Fe³⁺ at binding energies of 286.04, 528.00, 711.39, and 723.84 eV, respectively. Also, Fe₃O₄/MetCel@Pb photocatalysts were used for the first time in the dye degradation. The degradation of methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), phenol red (PR), alizarin yellow (AY), and bromthymol blue (BTB) dyes under ultraviolet-visible light for 30 min was determined as 100 %, 96.76 %, 94.51 %, 80.81 %, and 71.93 %, respectively. In the reusability study, Fe₃O₄/MetCel@Pb photocatalysts showed a reduction rate of 1.70 % compared to the first cycle even after the fourth cycle. The stability and repeated reusability of Fe₃O₄/MetCel@Pb photocatalysts without deformation were realized. Application of Fe₃O₄/MetCel@Pb photocatalysts in real dyed water samples (even in mixed matrix samples) showed over 90 % dye degradation efficiency. This confirms that the photocatalyst is an effective catalyst in dye degradation. Fe₃O₄/MetCel@Pb photocatalysts, which are economical, easy to prepare, and stable, will be an effective option for the removal of industrial waste paints (cationic and anionic dye) from aqueous systems. In addition, using these photocatalysts will provide ease of process, as well as time and cost savings.