1. Green approach for fabricating hybrids of food waste-derived biochar/zinc oxide for effective degradation of bromothymol blue dye in a photocatalysis/persulfate activation system.
- Author
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Gaber, Mohamed Mohamed, Shokry, Hassan, Samy, Mahmoud, and A. El-Bestawy, Ebtesam
- Abstract
This study presents novel composites of biochar (BC) derived from spinach stalks and zinc oxide (ZnO) synthesized from water hyacinth to be used for the first time in a hybrid system for activating persulfate (PS) with photocatalysis for the degradation of bromothymol blue (BTB) dye. The BC/ZnO composites were characterized using innovative techniques. BC/ZnO (2:1) showed the highest photocatalytic performance and BC/ZnO (2:1)@(PS + light) system attained BTB degradation efficiency of 89.47% within 120 min. The optimum operating parameters were determined as an initial BTB concentration of 17.1 mg/L, a catalyst dosage of 0.7 g/L, and a persulfate initial concentration of 8.878 mM, achieving a BTB removal efficiency of 99.34%. The catalyst showed excellent stability over five consecutive runs. Sulfate radicals were the predominant radicals involved in the degradation of BTB. BC/ZnO (2:1)@(PS + light) system could degrade 88.52%, 84.64%, 81.5%, and 77.53% of methylene blue, methyl red, methyl orange, and Congo red, respectively. Further, the BC/ZnO (2:1)@(PS + light) system effectively activated PS to eliminate 97.49% of BTB and 85.12% of dissolved organic carbon in real industrial effluents from the textile industry. The proposed degradation system has the potential to efficiently purify industrial effluents which facilitates the large-scale application of this technique. [Display omitted] • Hybrid photocatalysis/PS activation system could efficiently degrade BTB dye. • 99.34% degradation efficiency of BTB was achieved under the optimal condition. • Sulfate radicals were the main radicals involved in the degradation system. • The constituents of water matrices inhibited the accelerated degradation rates. • The proposed system could degrade 97.49% BTB and 85.12% DOC from real wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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