Photocatalytic process by immobilized carbon black/ZnO nanocomposite for dye removal from aqueous medium: Optimization by response surface methodology

High photocatalytic efficiency of a ZnO nanoplate/Fe2O3 nanospindle hybrid using visible light for methylene blue degradation

In this work, ZnO nanoplates and Fe2O3 nanospindles were successfully fabricated via a simple hydrothermal method using inorganic salts as precursors. The ZnO/Fe2O3 hybrid was fabricated using a mechanical mixture of two different ZnO : Fe2O3 weight ratios to investigate the effect of weight ratio on catalytic properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that ZnO nanoplates (NPls) are about 20 nm thick with lateral dimensions of 100 × 200 nm, and Fe2O3 nanospindles (NSs) are about 500 nm long and 50 nm wide. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed the successful formation of the ZnO, Fe2O3, and ZnO/Fe2O3 samples and indicated that their crystallite sizes varied from 20 to 29 nm depending on the ZnO : Fe2O3 weight ratio. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectra showed that the bandgap energies of ZnO and Fe2O3 were 3.15 eV and 2.1 eV, respectively. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) results revealed the successful combination of ZnO and Fe2O3. Photocatalytic activity of the materials was evaluated through the degradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution under green light-emitting diode (GLED) irradiation. The results indicated that the ZnO/Fe2O3 composite showed a remarkable enhanced degradation capacity compared to bare ZnO NPls and Fe2O3 NSs. The ZnO : Fe2O3 = 3 : 2 sample demonstrated the best performance among all samples under identical conditions with a degradation efficiency of 99.3% for MB after 85 min. The optimum photocatalytic activity of the sample with ZnO : Fe2O3 = 3 : 2 was nearly 3.6% higher than that of the pure ZnO sample and 1.12 times more than that of the pristine Fe2O3 sample. Moreover, the highest photo-degradation was obtained at a photocatalyst dosage of 0.25 g l-1 in dye solution.

Vibrational, optical, and photocatalytic properties of ZnO/layered carbon nanocomposite synthesized by ball milling

ZnO/layered carbon nanocomposites with varied sizes of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by mechanical milling of mixture of ZnO NPs and carbon NPs. The NP size of ZnO was controlled with average particle sizes about 19.33, 21.87, 24.21, and 27.89 nm by varying the concentrations of carbon NPs viz 0, 2, 5, and 10 weight percent, respectively, in the mixture. Presence of carbon with ZnO in the form of composite also resulted in the enhanced shift of the band gap of ZnO due to the optical transitions in the impurity states or presence of carbon as compared to the ZnO size change alone. Additionally, the enhancement of absorbance in the visible region with an increase in carbon content was observed. Such an increase in absorbance can enhance the photocatalytic activity of ZnO NPs. Raman bands for ZnO NPs also were found to shift faster in the presence of layered carbon. The quenching of visible photoluminescence emission of ZnO NPs with an increase in concentration of carbon NPs in the composite indicated the phenomenon associated with transfer of electrons from ZnO to layered carbon helping the separation of photo-generated electrons and holes in ZnO and can lead to enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of ZnO NPs. In the photocatalytic studies, it was observed that the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye was significantly enhanced by the increase of content of layered carbon in the nanocomposite. The sample containing 10% carbon showed the highest adsorption in dark conditions which was up to 60% of the starting strength and this was further enhanced to 88% in the presence of UV radiation. Enhanced adsorption of MB dye and the effective separation of electron-hole pairs due to charge transfer were believed to be the main causes behind such kind of improvement in the photocatalytic effects.

Environmental factors influencing the soil-air partitioning of semi-volatile petroleum hydrocarbons: Laboratory measurements and optimization model

The soil-air partition coefficient (KSA) values are commonly utilized to examine the fate of organic contaminants in soils; however, their measurement has been lacking for semi-volatile petroleum hydrocarbons within soil contaminated by crude oil. This research utilized a solid-phase fugacity meter to determine the KSA values of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) under crucial environmental conditions. The results showed a notable increase in KSA values with the extent of crude oil contamination in soil. Specifically, in the 3 % crude oil treatment, the KSA values for n-alkanes and PAHs increased by 1.16 and 0.66 times, respectively, compared to the 1 % crude oil treatment. However, the KSA values decreased with changes in temperature, water content, and particle size within the specified experimental range. Among these factors, temperature played a significant role. The KSA values for n-alkanes and PAHs decreased by 0.27-0.89 and 0.61-0.83 times, respectively, with a temperature increase from 5 °C to 35 °C. Moreover, the research identified that the molecular weight of n-alkanes and PAHs contributed to variations in KSA values under identical environmental factors. With an increase in temperature from 5 °C to 35 °C, the range of n-alkanes present in the air phase expanded from C11 to C34, and PAHs showed elevated levels of acenaphthene (ACE) and benzo (b) fluoranthene (BbFA). Furthermore, heightened water content and particle size were observed to facilitate the volatilization of low molecular weight petroleum hydrocarbons. The effect of environmental variables on soil-air partitioning was evaluated using the Box-Behnken design (BBD) model, resulting in the attainment of the lowest log KSA values. These results illustrate that soil-air partitioning is a complex process influenced by various factors. In conclusion, this study improves our comprehension and predictive capabilities concerning the behavior and fate of n-alkanes and PAHs within soil-air systems.

Optimization and modelling of magnesium oxide (MgO) photocatalytic degradation of binary dyes using response surface methodology

Textile industry dye effluent contains a mixture of different kinds of dyes. Many times, photocatalysis is targeted as a solution for the treatment of dye effluent from the textile industry. Many researches have been published related to the photocatalysis of single textile dyes but in the real-world scenario, effluent is a mixture of dyes. Magnesium oxide (MgO) is used as a photocatalyst to treat a mixture (binary solution) of Methylene blue (MB) and Methylene violet (MV) along with individual MB and MV dyes in this article. MgO shows remarkable photocatalytic activity at about 93 and 88% for MB and MV dye in binary solution within 135 min. Furthermore, to study the influence of process parameters, experiments are designed with the help of the central composite design (CCD), and Response surface methodology (RSM) is used to study the interactions between parameters. For this study, five parameters are selected i.e., Photocatalyst dosage, initial concentration of both dyes, time of exposure to the light source, and pH of the binary solution. The photocatalytic process is also optimized and finally optimization of process parameters is validated with an experiment. The result of the validation experiment is very close to the predicted photocatalytic activity.

Treatment of landfill leachate using photocatalytic based advanced oxidation process - a critical review

Landfill leachate is a discrete volumetric component of municipal solid waste; hence, researchers and professionals are more concerned about it because of its obscurity. Innovative treatment and emerging technologies are being scrutinized to address the treatment of landfill leachate challenges. The leading target of this review was to examine the possibility of removing recalcitrant organic pollutants from landfill leachate by photocatalytic-based advanced oxidation processes. A summary of the systematic applicability of conventional treatment for landfill leachate is provided, with a focus on physico-chemical and biological processes. The biological treatment, such as aerobic and anaerobic digestion, is an excellent technique for treating highly concentrated organic pollutants in the wastewater. However, Leachate can scarcely be treated using conventional techniques since it is enriched with refractory organics and inorganic ions. It is clear from the literature review that none of the available combinations of physico-chemical and biological treatments are entirely relevant for the removal of recalcitrant organic pollutants from leachate. Recently, the photo-assisted TiO2/ZnO oxidation has shown an excessively potential and feasible way to treat landfill leachate. TiO2/ZnO photocatalysis is currently developing to treat recalcitrant organic pollutants from landfill leachate. The effect of operating parameters reveals that pH and temperature affect the reaction rate. The addition of oxidant H2O2 to the TiO2/ZnO suspension suggests that TiO2 leads to an increase in the rate of reaction when compared to ZnO. Photocatalytic remediation technique of landfill leachate would support the goal of environmental sustainability by greatly enhancing the effectiveness of treated leachate reutilization. In this review, the selection of the best photocatalytic treatment for leachate based on its systematic relevance and potential conditions, characteristics, cost-effectiveness, essential controlling, discharge limit, long-term environmental effects, and its future study perspectives are emphasized and discussed.

Remediation of environmental toxicants using carbonaceous materials: opportunity and challenges

Adsorption and photocatalytic properties of carbonaceous materials, viz., carbon nanotubes (CNTs), fullerene, graphene, graphene oxide, carbon nanofiber nanospheres, and activated carbon, are the legitimate weapons for the remediation of emerging and persistent inorganic/organic contaminants, heavy metals, and radionucleotides from the environment. High surface area, low or non-toxic nature, ease of synthesis, regeneration, and chemical modification of carbonaceous material make them ideal for the removal of toxicants. The research techniques investigated during the last decade for the elimination of environmental toxicants using carbonaceous materials are reviewed to offer comprehensive insight into the mechanism, efficiency, applications, advantages, and shortcomings. Opportunities and challenges associated with carbon materials have been discussed to suggest future perspectives in the remediation of environmental toxicants.

Removal of Azo Dyes from Wastewater through Heterogeneous Photocatalysis and Supercritical Water Oxidation

Azo dyes are synthetic organic dyes used in the textile, leather, and paper industries. They pose environmental problems due to their toxic and persistent nature. The toxicity is due to the presence of azo groups in the dye molecule that can break down into aromatic amines, which are highly toxic to aquatic organisms and humans. Various treatment methods have been developed to remove azo dyes from wastewater. Conventional wastewater treatments have some drawbacks, such as high operating costs, long processing times, generation of sludge, and the formation of toxic by-products. For these reasons, a valid alternative is constituted by advanced oxidation processes. Good results have been obtained using heterogeneous photocatalysis and supercritical water oxidation. In the former method, a photocatalyst is in contact with wastewater, a suitable light activates the catalyst, and generated reactive oxygen species that react with pollutants through oxidative reactions to their complete mineralization; the latter involves pressurizing and heating wastewater to supercritical conditions in a reactor vessel, adding an oxidizing agent to the supercritical water, and allowing the mixture to react. In this review paper, works in the literature that deal with processing wastewater containing azo dyes through photocatalysts immobilized on macroscopic supports (structured photocatalysts) and the supercritical water oxidation technique have been critically analyzed. In particular, advancement in the formulation of structured photocatalysts for the degradation of azo dyes has been shown, underlying different important features, such as the type of support for the photoactive phase, reactor configuration, and photocatalytic efficiency in terms of dye degradation and photocatalyst stability. In the case of supercritical water oxidation, the main results regarding COD and TOC removal from wastewater containing azo dyes have been reported, taking into account the reactor type, operating pressure, and temperature, as well as the reaction time.

Enhanced Organic Pollutant Removal Efficiency of Electrospun NiTiO3/TiO2-Decorated Carbon Nanofibers

A nanocomposite comprised of nickel titanate/titania nanoparticles decorated with carbon nanofibers (NiTiO₃/TiO₂-decorated CNFs) is successfully synthesized via electrospinning and further utilized for methylene blue (MB) photodegradation. The morphology, phase, structural and chemical composition of the nanocomposite is investigated via scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray. A mathematical model is developed to predict the photocatalytic activity of the produced nanocomposite by considering parameters such as initial dye concentration, light intensity, reaction temperature, and catalyst dosage. The reaction rate constant K₁ decreased from 0.0153 to 0.0044 min^-1 with an increase in the MB concentration from 5 to 15 mg L^-1, while K₂, K₃, and K₄ were found to increase with the increase in reaction temperature (0.0153 to 0.0222 min^-1), light intensity (0.0153 to 0.0228 min^-1) and catalyst dose concentration (0.0153 to 0.0324 min^-1), respectively. The results obtained are found to be in good agreement with the modeling results and showed effective photodegradation activity. The performance of our catalyst is found to be better compared to other catalysts previously reported in the literature. The recyclability data of the synthesized NiTiO₃/TiO₂-decorated CNFs catalyst for four runs show that the catalyst is quite stable and recyclable. This nanocomposite photocatalyst offers a low-cost solution for wastewater pollution problems and opens new avenues to further explore the electrospinning method for the synthesis of nanocomposites.

Adsorptive and photocatalytic remediation of hazardous organic chemical pollutants in aqueous medium: A review

The provision of clean water is still a major challenge in developing parts of the world, as emphasized by the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6), and has remained a subject of extensive research globally. Advancements in science and industry have resulted in a massive surge in the amount of industrial chemicals produced within the last few decades. Persistent and emerging organic pollutants are detected in aquatic environments, and conventional wastewater treatment plants have ineffectively handled these trace, bioaccumulative and toxic compounds. Therefore, we have conducted an extensive bibliometric analysis of different materials utilized to combat organic pollutants via adsorption and photocatalysis. The classes of pollutants, material synthesis, mechanisms of interaction, merits, and challenges were comprehensively discussed. The paper highlights the advantages of various materials used in the removal of hazardous pollutants from wastewater with activated carbon having the highest adsorption capacity. Dyes, pharmaceuticals, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, pesticides and other recalcitrant organic pollutants have been successfully removed at high degradation efficiencies through the photocatalytic process. The photocatalytic degradation and adsorption processes were compared by considering factors such as cost, efficiency, ease of application and reusability. This review will be good resource material for water treatment professionals/scientists, who may be interested in adsorptive and photocatalytic remediation of organic chemicals pollutants.

Recent and Emerging Trends in Remediation of Methylene Blue Dye from Wastewater by Using Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

Due to the increased demand for clothes by the growing population, the dye-based sectors have seen fast growth in the recent decade. Among all the dyes, methylene blue dye is the most commonly used in textiles, resulting in dye effluent contamination. It is carcinogenic, which raises the stakes for the environment. The numerous sources of methylene blue dye and their effective treatment procedures are addressed in the current review. Even among nanoparticles, photocatalytic materials, such as TiO2, ZnO, and Fe3O4, have shown greater potential for photocatalytic methylene blue degradation. Such nano-sized metal oxides are the most ideal materials for the removal of water pollutants, as these materials are related to the qualities of flexibility, simplicity, efficiency, versatility, and high surface reactivity. The use of nanoparticles generated from waste materials to remediate methylene blue is highlighted in the present review.

Evaluation of N doped rGO-ZnO-CoPc(COOH)8 nanocomposite in cyanide degradation and its bactericidal activities

In the present study, an attempt has been made to design a solar light driven N-rGO-ZnO- CoPc(COOH)₈ nanocomposite for the degradation of cyanide. The morphological and structural characterization of the synthesized nanocomposite was performed by XRD, FT-IR, XPS, UV-vis DRS, FESEM, TEM, EDS, PL spectra and BET surface area. The results revealed that almost 91% degradation and 86% toxicity removal occurred at 25 mgL^-1 of initial cyanide concentration by the N-rGO-ZnO-CoPc(COOH)₈ nanocomposite under illumination of solar light within 120 min. Analysis of free radicals reveals that the generation of OH^. radicals was the predominant species in the photocatalytic degradation process. The cyanide degradation follows pseudo-first order kinetics. The estimated apparent rate constant (K_app) of the above nanocomposite was 3 times higher than that of the ZnO photocatalyst alone together with a very good recycle activities. This might be due to the application of metallpthalocyanine photosensitizer CoPc(COOH)₈ which enhances the rate of visible light absorption efficiency and activates the higher band gap ZnO photocatalyst under visible light. In addition, the presence of residual oxygen in N-rGO also promotes nucleation and anchor sites for interfacial contact between ZnO and N-rGO for effective charge transfer. Further, the N-rGO-ZnO-CoPc(COOH)₈ photocatalytic system showed significant antibacterial activities against mixed culture systems. Therefore, the N-rGO-ZnO-CoPc(COOH)₈ nanocomposite may be an alternative solar light driven photocatalyst system for the removal of cyanide from the wastewater along with its strong disinfectant activities.

Synthesized Cr/TiO2 immobilized on pumice powder for photochemical degradation of acid orange-7 dye under UV/visible light: influential operating factors, optimization, and modeling

The current study aimed to investigate the removal efficiency of acid orange-7 (AO7) using synthesized Cr/TiO₂ immobilized on pumice powder under visible light and UV irradiation. The characterization of synthesized nanocatalyst examined by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transforms infrared. The optimum of experimental parameters including catalyst dosage, dye concentration, time and pH, D-optimal Design (DOD) along with response surface methodology obtained by R software. The initial and outlet concentration was measured using a spectrophotometer. Besides, Analysis of variance results for the quadratic model showed simple linear regression with high significance and provided as a predicting model. The differences less than 0.2 between multiple and adjusted R² in two models indicate that two examined models fitted suitably. The highest removal efficiency of AO7 was 95 and 74% under visible and UV irradiation, respectively. Therefore, the higher removal efficiency in visible light reduces the costs and energy, moreover, offers an environmentally friendly method. The results showed that the removal efficiency of AO7 increased considerably with rising catalyst dosage and time, as well as minimizing dye concentration, and pH.

Degradation of sulfonamide antibiotics using ozone-based advanced oxidation process: Experimental, modeling, transformation mechanism and DFT study

In this research, degradation of three sulfonamide antibiotic compounds (SNAs) such as Sulfasalazine (SSZ), Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and Sulfamethazine (SMT) as well as Metronidazole (MNZ) were investigated for the first time using experimental, modeling and simulation data under O₃, H₂O₂, and O₃/H₂O₂ systems. The kinetic and synergistic study confirmed the pseudo-first-order reaction and highest performance of the O₃/H₂O₂ process for the SNAs degradation process. Two modeling approach, central composite design (CCD) based on response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) were utilized to investigate the optimization and modeling of SSZ degradation as the response of O₃/H₂O₂ system and results were compared. The individual and interactive effects of main operational parameters were also possessed by the main effect graphs, contour and response surface plots. The experimental results showed maximum degradation efficiency at the optimum condition for SSZ, SMX, SMT and MNZ were 98.10%, 89.34%, 86.29% and 58.70%, respectively in O₃/H₂O₂ process. For proposed reaction mechanism of SNAs in O₃/H₂O₂ process the influence of inorganic salts including Na₂SO₄, NaH₂PO₄, Na₂CO₃, NaCl and tert butanol (TBA) as organic OH scavenger was studied. Besides that, LC-MS/MS analysis and DFT calculation were employed to identify the intermediate molecules produced (31 species) during the SSZ degradation (as a SNAs model) and a probable degradation pathway was proposed. The results provided a new strategy by combination of experiment and computer simulation to evaluate the O₃/H₂O₂ system for optimization of SNAs removal from wastewater.

Process development for the degradation of textile azo dyes (mono-, di-, poly-) by advanced oxidation process - Ozonation: Experimental & partial derivative modelling approach

The present study focuses on modelling the removal of reactive azo dyes (Reactive Orange 16, Reactive Red 120 and Direct Red 80) by ozonolytic degradation. The process was optimised using One Variable at a Time (OVAT) approach followed by Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The operational parameters influencing the process of degradation, i.e. initial dye concentration (mg/L), pH and ozone exposure time were modelled using Central Composite Design (CCD). Under the optimal condition (Initial dye concentration = 2000 mg/L, pH = 11.0, Ozone exposure time = 10 min), the highest desirable response (i.e. Concentration of the degraded dye) for the degradation of RO 16, RR 120 and DR 80 are 1289.35 mg/L, 1224.98 mg/L and 1039.87 mg/L, respectively. The high correlation coefficients, 0.9814 (RO 16), 0.9815 (RR 120) and 0.9685 (DR 80) indicates the closeness of the results predicted by RSM with the experimental results. The rate of degradation for all the three dyes at the optimal condition followed pseudo-first order kinetics with the rate of reaction as 141 mg/L.min, 197.2 mg/L.min and 216.6 mg/Lmin. The predicted model was also evaluated by partial derivative-based equation modelling and experimental approach. The reliability and applicability of the developed process were confirmed by degrading the synthetic mixed dye effluent.

Green Synthesis of an Activated Carbon-Supported Ag and ZnO Nanocomposite for Photocatalytic Degradation and Its Antibacterial Activities

In this study Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs), ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs), and Ag/ZnO nanocomposites were greenly synthesized and loaded on activated carbon via three different routes: simple impregnation, successive precipitation, and co-precipitation. Neem leaf extract was used as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The morphological and structural properties of the synthesized nanocomposites have been examined using different analytical techniques such as XRD, SEM, FTIR, and UV. The antibacterial and catalytic activity of the synthesized nanocomposites were examined and compared. The results showed that AgNPs loaded on activated carbon (Ag/AC) has the best catalytic activity compared to the other nanocomposites, which is attributed to the good dispersal of AgNPs on the surface of activated carbon. Furthermore, AgNPs showed the best antibacterial effect on eight out of 16 tested pathogens. Results also showed that the order of precipitation is an important factor, as both antibacterial activities and photodegradation activities were higher for ZnO/Ag/AC than Ag/ZnO/AC. Furthermore, the co-precipitation method was shown to be better than the successive precipitation method for 4-nitrophenol photodegradation and 14 out of the 16 antibacterial tests performed.

Decolorization of methylene blue using Fe(III)-citrate complex in a solar photo-Fenton process: impact of solar variability on process optimization

This study investigates the solar photo-Fenton based decolorization of a cationic dye methylene blue (MB) at circumneutral pH conditions. Water-soluble Fe(III)-citrate complex was used as a source of Fe(II) during the reaction by ligand-to-metal charge transfer under solar irradiation, and consequently, for the production of hydroxyl radicals. Solar decolorization of methylene blue was studied in sunny as well as cloudy weather, and further optimized using response surface methodology and Box-Behnken statistical experimental design. In this model, Fe(III) dose, citrate ion dose, and initial pH of the solution were used as independent parameters, and percentage decolorization of MB was used as a response. Better decolorization of MB was observed in sunny weather as compared to cloudy weather. A particular combination of parameters, i.e. pH of 7, Fe(III) of 0.5 mM, and citrate ion concentration of 10 mM, was found to achieve 89.19% and 51.22% decolorization in sunny and in cloudy weather respectively, which were the optimum/near-optimum performances for these weather conditions. Hence the process initiated with these parameters may potentially achieve better performance than any other parameter combination in all weathers, although the absolute removal would still depend on incident solar irradiation.

Fractional factorial design modelling on degradation of Direct Red 81 dye by advanced oxidation process - ozonation: reaction kinetics

In the present work, the degradation of Direct Red 81 by ozonation was studied. The interactive effects of the influencing factors (dye concentration = 500-2,000 mg/L; time = 10-30 min; pH = 7.0-11.0) on degradation efficiency was critically examined through experimental design optimization by central composite design under the response surface methodology. The high correlation coefficients (R² = 0.976 & adjusted R² = 0.958) obtained by analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated close fit between the experimental and the predicted values. Optimized conditions under specified cost-driven restraints were obtained for the highest desirability (i.e. degradation of 1,210.59 mg/L dye) at pH = 11.0, initial dye concentration = 2,000 mg/L and ozone exposure time of 27.16 min. The degradation of Direct Red 81 was confirmed through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis and UV-Vis spectrometry.

Application of response surface methodology in physicochemical removal of dyes from wastewater: A critical review

Response surface methodology (RSM) is a powerful tool in designing the experiments and optimizing different environmental processes. However, when it comes to wastewater treatment and specifically dye-containing wastewater, two questions arise; "Is RSM being used correctly?" and "Are all capabilities of RSM being exploited properly?". The current review paper aims to answer these questions by scrutinizing different physicochemical processes that utilized RSM in dye removal. The literature that applied RSM to adsorption, advanced oxidation processes, coagulation/flocculation and electrocoagulation processes were critically reviewed in this paper. The common errors in applying RSM to physicochemical removal of dyes are identified and some suggestions are made for future studies.

Coupled adsorption-photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet under sunlight using chemically synthesized grafted sodium alginate/ZnO/graphene oxide composite

This research aimed to synthesize natural polymer nanocomposite and employ it for coupled adsorption- photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet. Sodium alginate-g-poly (acrylic acid-co-cinnamic acid) and its composites with ZnO nanorods and graphene oxide sheets were synthesized and characterized using FT-IR, XRD, SEM, HR-TEM and DR/UV-vis spectroscopy. The adsorption efficiency of samples for crystal violet has been studied in the dark. The effect of different parameters as pH, initial dye concentration, contact time and temperature on the adsorption efficiency of the synthesized sample has been examined. Kinetics studies showed that the adsorption of all samples was well described by the pseudo-second-order model and the equilibrium adsorption results fitted Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity achieved at pH 5.0 was 13.85 mg g^-1. Thermodynamic studies exhibited that the adsorption is spontaneous, endothermic in nature and leads to higher entropy. Coupled adsorption-photocatalytic degradation studies under sunlight showed an enhancement in the removal efficiency by 10%. In the case of sodium alginate-g-poly (acrylic acid-co-cinnamic acid)/ZnO/graphene oxide composite, the removal efficiency after 5 h under sunlight was 94% versus 84% in the dark.

Ultrasound-assisted removal of Acid Red 17 using nanosized Fe3O4-loaded coffee waste hydrochar

The Fe₃O₄-loaded coffee waste hydrochar (Fe₃O₄-CHC) was synthesized using a simple precipitation method. The as-prepared adsorbent was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The EDX analysis indicated the presence of Fe in the structure of Fe₃O₄-CHC. The specific surface area of hydrochar increased from 17.2 to 34.7m²/g after loading of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles onto it. The prepared Fe₃O₄-CHC was used for removal of Acid Red 17 (AR17) through ultrasound-assisted process. The decolorization efficiency decreased from 100 to 74% with the increase in initial dye concentration and from 100 to 91 and 85% in the presence of NaCl and Na₂SO₄, respectively. The synthesized Fe₃O₄-CHC exhibited good stability in the repeated adsorption-desorption cycles. The high correlation coefficient (R²=0.997) obtained from Langmuir model indicated that physical and monolayer adsorption of dye molecules occurred on the Fe₃O₄-CHC surface. Furthermore, the by-products generated through the degradation of AR17 was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis.

Heterogeneous sono-Fenton-like process using martite nanocatalyst prepared by high energy planetary ball milling for treatment of a textile dye

High energy planetary ball milling was applied to prepare sono-Fenton nanocatalyst from natural martite (NM). The NM samples were milled for 2-6h at the speed of 320rpm for production of various ball milled martite (BMM) samples. The catalytic performance of the BMMs was greater than the NM for treatment of Acid Blue 92 (AB92) in heterogeneous sono-Fenton-like process. The NM and the BMM samples were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, EDX and BET analyses. The particle size distribution of the 6h-milled martite (BMM₃) was in the range of 10-90nm, which had the highest surface area compared to the other samples. Then, the impact of main operational parameters was investigated on the process. Complete removal of the dye was obtained at the desired conditions including initial pH 7, 2.5g/L BMM₃ dosage, 10mg/L AB92 concentration, and 150W ultrasonic power after 30min of treatment. The treatment process followed pseudo-first order kinetic. Environmentally-friendly modification of the NM, low leached iron amount and repeated application at milder pH were the significant benefits of the BMM₃. The GC-MS was successfully used to identify the generated intermediates. Eventually, an artificial neural network (ANN) was applied to predict the AB92 removal efficiency based upon the experimental data with a proper correlation coefficient (R²=0.9836).

Preparation of zeolite nanorods by corona discharge plasma for degradation of phenazopyridine by heterogeneous sono-Fenton-like process

The plasma-modified clinoptilolite (PMC) nanorods were prepared from natural clinoptilolite (NC) utilizing environmentally-friendly corona discharge plasma. The PMC and NC were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, EDX, XPS and BET, which confirmed the nanocatalyst formation. The catalytic performance of the PMC in the heterogeneous sono-Fenton-like process was greater than the NC for treatment of phenazopyridine (PhP). The desired amounts were obtained for experimental parameters including initial pH (5), PMC dosage (2g/L), K2S2O8 concentration (2mmol/L), ultrasonic power (300W) and PhP concentration (10mg/L). Reactive oxygen species scavengers decreased the removal efficiency of the PhP. The treatment process followed pseudo-first order kinetic and seven degradation intermediates were identified by the GC-MS technique.

Photocatalytic degradation of carbofuran by TiO2-coated activated carbon: Model for kinetic, electrical energy per order and economic analysis

The photocatalytic removal of carbofuran (CBF) from aqueous solution in the presence of granular activated carbon supported TiO2 (GAC-TiO2) catalyst was investigated under batch-mode experiments. The presence of GAC enhanced the photocatalytic efficiency of the TiO2 catalyst. Experiments were conducted at different concentrations of CBF to clarify the dependence of apparent rate constant (kapp) in the pseudo first-order kinetics on CBF photodegradation. The general relationship between the adsorption equilibrium constant (K) and reaction rate constant (kr) were explained by using the modified Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) model. From the observed kinetics, it was observed that the surface reaction was the rate limiting step in the GAC-TiO2 catalyzed photodegradation of CBF. The values of K and kr for this pseudo first-order reaction were found to be 0.1942 L  mg(-1) and 1.51 mg L(-1) min(-1), respectively. In addition, the dependence of kapp on the half-life time was determined by calculating the electrical energy per order experimentally (EEO experimental) and also by modeling (EEO model). The batch-mode experimental outcomes revealed the possibility of 100% CBF removal (under optimized conditions and at an initial concentration of 50 mg L(-1) and 100 mg L(-1)) at a contact time of 90 min and 120 min, respectively. Both L-H kinetic model and EEO model fitted well with the batch-mode experimental data and also elucidated successfully the phenomena of photocatalytic degradation in the presence of GAC-TiO2 catalyst.

Periodate-assisted pulsed sonocatalysis of real textile wastewater in the presence of MgO nanoparticles: Response surface methodological optimization

The improvement of sonocatalytic treatment of real textile wastewater in the presence of MgO nanoparticles was the main goal of the present study. According to our preliminary results, the application of pulse mode of sonication, together with the addition of periodate ions, produced the greatest sonocatalytic activity and consequently, the highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency (73.95%) among all the assessed options. In the following, pulsed sonocatalysis of real textile wastewater in the presence of periodate ions was evaluated response surface methodologically on the basis of central composite design. Accordingly, a high correlation coefficient of 0.95 was attained for the applied statistical strategy to optimize the process. As results, a pulsed sonication time of 141min, MgO dosage of 2.4g/L, solution temperature of 314K and periodate concentration of 0.11M gave the maximum COD removal of about 85%. Under aforementioned operational conditions, the removal of total organic carbon (TOC) was obtained to be 63.34% with the reaction rate constant of 7.1×10(-3)min(-1) based on the pseudo-first order kinetic model (R(2)=0.99). Overall, periodate-assisted pulsed sonocatalysis over MgO nanoparticles can be applied as an efficient alternative process for treating and mineralizing real textile wastewater with good reusability potential.