Abstract

In this study, the simple upcycling of coal fly ash (FA) waste to produce low-cost integrated photocatalytic adsorbents (IPCAs) for the removal of hazardous organic contaminant was proposed. The IPCAs were fabricated by combining zinc oxide (ZnO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on FA derived zeolite. The ternary ZnO/FA-zeolite/rGO (ZnO/Z/rGO) nanocomposites were prepared using pyrolysis-hydrothermal techniques. These nanocomposites were found to possess negative surface charges and large surface areas. Consequently, they achieved high methylene blue (MB) adsorption efficiency, owing to the increase in the number of active sites and the strong electrostatic interaction between ZnO/Z/rGO and MB molecules. ZnO and rGO improved the photocatalytic MB degradation and mineralization via reactive oxygen species generation (superoxide and hydroxyl radicals as the major reactive species), hindered the charge recombination and enhanced the reusability. These results can be used to guide the development of upcycling and utilization of FA for cost-effective, accessible, and reusable IPCAs with excellent degradation and stability in organic dye wastewater treatment.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.