Coal fly ash supported CoFe2O4 nanocomposites: Synergetic Fenton-like and photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

Nimra Nadeem; Muhammad Yaseen; Zulfiqar Ahmad Rehan; Muhammad Zahid; Rana Abdul Shakoor; Asim Jilani; Javed Iqbal; Shahid Rasul; Imran Shahid

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2021.112280

Coal fly ash supported CoFe₂O₄ nanocomposites: Synergetic Fenton-like and photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

Environ Res. 2022 Apr 15:206:112280. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112280. Epub 2021 Oct 28.

Authors

Nimra Nadeem¹, Muhammad Yaseen², Zulfiqar Ahmad Rehan³, Muhammad Zahid⁴, Rana Abdul Shakoor⁵, Asim Jilani⁶, Javed Iqbal⁷, Shahid Rasul⁸, Imran Shahid⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan.
² Department of Physics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan.
³ Department of Polymer Engineering, National Textile University Faisalabad, Pakistan.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan. Electronic address: Rmzahid@uaf.edu.pk.
⁵ Center for Advanced Materials (CAM), Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
⁶ Center of Nanotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: asim.jilane@gmail.com.
⁷ Center of Nanotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Northumbria University, UK.
⁹ Environmental Science Centre, Qatar University, Doha, P.O. Box 2713, Qatar.

PMID: 34756916
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112280

Abstract

Rapid industrialization is causing a serious threat for the environment. Therefore, this research was aimed in developing ceramic cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) nanocomposite photocatalyst coated with coal fly ash (CFA-CoFe₂O₄) using facile hydrothermal synthesis route and their applications against methylene blue. The pristine cobalt ferrite photocatalyst was also prepared, characterized, and applied for efficiency comparison. Prepared photocatalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Optical response of catalysts was check using photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). pH drift method was used for the surface charge characteristics of the material under acidic and basic conditions of solution pH. The photocatalytic degradation potential of all the materials were determined under ultra-violet irradiations. The influencing reaction parameters like pH, catalyst dose, oxidant dose, dye concentration, and irradiation time, were sequentially optimized to obtain best suited conditions. The 99% degradation of 10 ppm methylene blue was achieved within 60 min of reaction time under pH = 5 and 7, catalyst dose = 10 and 12 mg/100 mL, oxidant = 12 mM and 5 mM for cobalt ferrite and CFA-CoFe₂O₄ photocatalysts, respectively. Afterwards, the radical scavenging experiments were conducted to find out the effective radical scavengers (˙OH, h⁺, and e^-) in photocatalytic degradation process. The kinetic study of the process was done by applying 1st order, 2nd order, and BMG models. Statistical assessment of interaction effect among experimental variables was achieved using response surface methodology (RSM).

Keywords: CFA nanocomposites; Heterogeneous photocatalysis; Metal ferrites; Photo-Fenton process; Response surface methodology; Wastewater treatment.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Catalysis
Coal
Coal Ash
Methylene Blue* / chemistry
Nanocomposites* / chemistry

Substances

Coal
Coal Ash
Methylene Blue