Degradation by photo-Fenton process using Fe-clay as heterogeneous catalyst under sunlight and microwave irradiation

This study presents a newly developed, highly efficient heterogeneous iron-based catalyst (Fe-CY), supported on treated bentonite clay (CY), designed for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The bentonite clay underwent a two-stage treatment involving physical and chemical processes to produce the designated treated clay (CY), which served as the support material for Fe-CY catalyst preparation using the wet impregnation technique. Subsequently, the performance of the resulting catalyst was assessed in a photo-Fenton reaction aimed at degrading MB dye under both solar and microwave irradiation conditions. To determine the optimal decolorization conditions, several variables, including catalyst dosage, H2O2 quantity, pH, and initial MB concentration in the reaction system, were systematically investigated. Miscellaneous characterization techniques were employed to assess the support, and prepared catalyst. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine crystallinity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze morphological structure, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify surface functional groups, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis for the purpose of elemental analysis, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) for analyzing the textural properties. The experimental findings highlight the remarkable effectiveness of the catalyst in degrading methylene blue (MB). Upon exposure to sunlight and microwave irradiation, the catalyst achieved substantial MB color removal rates of 99.5% and 95.5% within 180 and 8 min, respectively. Moreover, the stability of the catalyst was evaluated across three consecutive cycles, revealing a sustained removal efficiency of 83.05%. Finally, a comprehensive investigation into the mechanism behind methylene blue (MB) removal was conducted, revealing insights into the unique catalytic properties of the Fe-clay catalyst.