Biomass Derived Hybrid Activated Carbon/Iron Oxide Composite for Photodegradation of Methylene Blue Upon Visible Light

The calcination and coprecipitation processes were combined to make semiconductor-based AC@Fe₃O₄, which was then used to investigate the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The crystallite size of composite AC@Fe₃O₄ was computed as 16.73 nm. The pristine Fe₃O₄, activated carbon, and composite AC@Fe₃O₄ witness sufficient photodegradation efficiency of MB dye. The UV–visible spectrum of AC@Fe₃O₄ manifested the presence of band edges in the UV–visible region of the spectrum, revealing marvelous capability towards catalytic degradation in the long range of radiation. The structural defects and disparity in the charge transfer produced by integrating Fe₃O₄ and AC encouraged the absorption of visible light. The effective material AC@Fe₃O₄ showed ascendant photodegradation of 10 mgL⁻¹ MB dye up to 94.6% in 140 min at a kinetic rate of 0.025 min⁻¹. The results of the reusability test demonstrated that AC@Fe₃O₄ may be used repeatedly to photodegrade MB dye with only a slight drop in photodegradation effectiveness. The quenching experiment demonstrated the specific impact of radicals on the photodegradation of MB dye. The MB dye degradation mechanism underscores reactive oxygen species (ROS), primarily responsible for the degradation process. Based on the findings of current study, it can be concluded that AC@Fe₃O₄ is a potential solid photocatalyst for the photodegradation of dyes in wastewater.