Low-cost bauxite residue-MoS2 possessing adsorption and photocatalysis ability for removing organic pollutants in wastewater

Abstract

• The low-cost catalyst is prepared with waste BR by one-step hydrothermal method. • The synergistic effect of adsorption and catalysis helps the degradation process. • The BR-MoS 2 shows good and stable degradation performance for removal of RhB. Effective wastewater cleaning methods are required to reduce environmental pollution and harmful human health effects. Here, a bauxite residue/MoS 2 (BR-MoS 2 ) composite is prepared via a one-step hydrothermal method using industrial waste residue (i.e., BR). The hydrothermal reaction time was varied to tune MoS 2 coverage content and optimize the capacity for light absorption and organic dye adsorption. Under the synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis, the proposed low-cost BR-MoS 2 composites effectively improved the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater. Furthermore, BR-MoS 2 demonstrated an improved optical absorption and photo-induced electron transfer as compared with that of a bare CM photocatalyst. The optimized BR-MoS 2 -12 h (with a hydrothermal reaction time of 12 h) demonstrated high photocatalytic degradation efficiency for dyes under light irradiation and excellent recyclability. To summarize, the proposed catalyst advances the research of cost-effective and sustainable wastewater treatment methods.