DEGRADATION OF METHYLENE BLUE BY HETEROGENEOUS PHOTO-FENTON REACTION CATALYZED BY Fe-CuBDC@Fe3O4

Abstract

Fe-CuBDC@Fe₃O₄ material was synthesized directly by thermo-solvent method from terephthalic acid ligand regenerated from PET waste plastic bottles. The synthesized materials were characterized by XRD, EDX, SEM, FTIR, TGA, UV-VIS and utilized as a heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst for degradation of methylene blue dye (MB) in aqueous solution. The factors affecting the heterogeneous Fenton photocatalysis were investigated in detail. With the optimal conditions, such as, material loading of 1 g/L; dosage of H₂O₂ 0.5 mL, pH 6 and contact time 60 minutes, an almost complete degradation was achieved for methylene blue concentrations up to 500 mg/L. Recycling studies demonstrated that Fe-CuBDC@Fe₃O₄ is a promising heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst for long term removal of methylene blue dye from industrial wastewater.