Increasing the efficiency of magnetic heterogeneous Fenton catalysts with a simple halogen visible lamp

Abstract

Abstract The effect of a simple visible halogen lamp was studied in the Fenton-type oxidation of three model aqueous pollutants differing in their structure and electrostatic charge, methylorange (MO), methylene blue (MB) and paranitrophenol (PNP), using maghemite nanoparticles (γ-Fe 2 O 3 NP), or maghemite/silica nanocomposite microspheres (γ-Fe 2 O 3 /SiO 2 MS) as heterogeneous catalysts. These materials, which were fully characterized, differ in size, morphology, porosity and microstructure, although their catalytic activity is related to the same γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles. Both have a strong magnetic susceptibility, but only the MS catalyst can be easily recovered by magnetic settlement. Whatever the catalyst, the pollutant tested, or the experimental conditions used, much better decolorization rates and mineralization efficiencies were recorded under illumination by visible light in comparison to the same tests in the dark. The large range of experimental conditions tested enabled us to propose a mechanism for photocatalytic activity. Experiments of long-term stability showed that the MS catalyst, although generally less active than the NP catalyst, retained almost all of its activity after five repeated experiments under visible light. The good stability of this catalyst was also confirmed by the low level of iron leaching, making it suitable candidate for an application as photo-Fenton catalyst in industrial wastewater treatment.