DESIGN AND APPLICATION OF FE3O4-CHITOSAN BEADS AS A HETEROGENEOUS PHOTO-FENTON CATALYST FOR METHYLENE BLUE DEGRADATION
Ovifah Umi Syahra (a*), Tien Setyaningtyas (b), Kapti Riyani (b), and Kokom Komariah (b)

Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman

Abstract

Methylene blue is a cationic dye widely used in the textile industry and is toxic, thereby posing a potential threat to aquatic environments. One effective approach for the treatment of colored wastewater is Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), particularly the heterogeneous fenton process, which is capable of generating hydroxyl radicals (OH) as strong oxidizing agents. In this study, Fe3O4-chitosan beads were designed and synthesized via a coprecipitation method and applied as a heterogeneous catalyst in a photo-Fenton system under UV irradiation. The crystal structure and functional groups of the synthesized material were characterized using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to confirm the successful formation of the Fe3O4 phase and the interaction between Fe3O4 and the chitosan matrix. The catalytic performance was evaluated by examining the effects of variations in the mass of Fe3O4 chitosan beads (0.25, 0.5, and 1 g), the volume of 1% H2O2 (0.2-1 mL), and the irradiation time (1-5 h) on methylene blue degradation. The results demonstrated that the optimum conditions were achieved using 0.5 g of Fe3O4 chitosan beads, 0.4 mL of 1% H2O2, and an irradiation time of 4h, resulting in a degradation efficiency of 98.93%. These findings confirm that the well-characterized design of Fe3O4 chitosan beads plays a crucial role in. Enhancing catalytic activity, highlighting its potential as an efficient, environmentally friendly, and reusable heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for textile wastewater treatment.

Keywords: Fe3O4 chitosan beads, heterogeneous photo-fenton, Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), photodegradation methylene blue

Topic: Inorganics Chemistry