Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange Dye with Synthesized Chitosan/Fe2O3Nanocomposite and its Isotherm Studies

Abstract

: Background: The study focuses on the synthesis of chitosan/Fe2O3 nanocomposite, its characterization and application in methyl orange dye degradation. Methods: The synthesized chitosan/ Fe2O3 nanocomposite was characterized with Powder X-Ray Diffraction, Fourier Transfor-­‐ mation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and UV-­‐Vis Spectroscopy. Results: The characterization showed that the Fe2O3nanoparticles were embedded in the polymer matrix of chitosan. The size of the Fe2O3nanoparticles was less than 10nm and the crystallite size was 1.22 nm. The synthesized chitosan/Fe2O3nanocomposite was tested for methyl orange degradation using different parameters such as the effect of contact time, effect of dose, effect of concentration and effect of pH for the degradation of methyl orange dye in aqueous solution. The Fruendlich, Langmuir and Temkin isotherm studies were also conducted for adsorption of methyl orange on Chitosan/Fe2O3nanocomposite. Conclusion: The study indicated that the synthesized chitosan/Fe2O3 nanocomposite had the potential of degrading methyl orange dye up to 75.04% under the set condition in this experiment, which indicates that Chitosan/Fe2O3 nanocomposite is a viable option that can be used for the degradation of methyl orange dye.