Optimizing catalytic performance: Reduction of organic dyes using synthesized Fe3O4@AC magnetic nano-catalyst

This article presents a sustainable method for the catalytic reduction of both simple and binary dye systems using magnetic activated carbon (Fe₃O₄@AC) synthesized from almond shells, an agricultural waste biomass. The reduction of methylene blue (MB) and Congo red (CR) was investigated in the presence of NaBH₄, and a series of physical-chemical experiments were conducted to elucidate the mechanism of dye conversion and its performance. The results confirmed the successful synthesis of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on the activated carbon surface. The calculated rate constants in a simple system were 0.34 min⁻¹ for MB and 0.25 min⁻¹ for CR, in the binary system, the Fe₃O₄@AC catalyst demonstrated enhanced selectivity for the cationic MB dye, attributable to the robust, attractive surface charge. The study aimed to enhance catalytic performance by employing optimization curves generated from a three-level Box-Behnken Design (BBD) simulation. Experimental results indicated that the optimal catalyst dose, dye concentration, and reaction duration were 4–7 mg, 80–120 mg/L, and 5–20 min, respectively. Response surface methodology (RSM) was developed by processing the findings from 17 replicated experiments using a two-quadratic polynomial model, establishing a functional link between the experimental parameters and MB conversion. Optimal conditions for MB conversion were determined to be 7 mg of catalyst, 80 mg/L of MB concentration, and a reaction time of 12.5 minutes, resulting in an estimated conversion rate of 99.99 %. This prediction was validated by experimental findings, with regression analysis confirming a high correlation (R² > 0.99) between the predicted and observed values. Additionally, the Fe₃O₄@AC catalyst demonstrated good recyclability and stable performance over three consecutive cycles, maintaining high conversion efficiency without loss of performance. These findings demonstrate that Fe₃O₄@AC is a viable approach for the rapid and efficient remediation of dyes in water.