Heterogeneous Nanocatalyst Research Articles

Cu(II) supported on Chitosan/LDH/Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposite as an effective heterogeneous nanocatalyst for synthesizing bis(indolyl) methanes under ultrasonic conditions

Chitosan is a natural, nontoxic biopolymer with amine and hydroxyl functional groups which make it easy for chitosan molecules to form intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonds. In that context, the present study reports Cu(II) supported on Chitosan@MgCuAl-LDH@Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposite (Fe3O4@MgCuAl-LDH@CS/Cu(II)) as an effective and a novel heterogeneous catalyst to perform electrophilic substitution reaction between indoles and aromatic aldehydes to yield bis(indolyl)methane derivatives (BIMs) in shorter reaction time under ultrasonic conditions. Copper ions were mainly adsorbed onto the core–shell magnetic nanocomposite (Fe3O4@MgCuAl-LDH) modified with chitosan by the chelating capacity of chitosan and LDH. The catalyst's physicochemical properties and morphological structure were characterized using advanced analytical techniques, including XRD, FT-IR, FESEM, HRTEM, TGA, VSM, ICP-OES and EDX. Overall, the results show that Sonication significantly enhanced the catalytic performances compared to conventional heating. Also, the prepared catalyst could be easily separated from the solution using an external magnetic field and reused up to nine times without considerable leaching or loss in its catalytic activity.

Nickel‐asparagine complex fixed on a magnetic substrate as a precursor for preparing substituted acridines

In this work, an efficient, novel, retrievable, and magnetic heterogeneous nanocatalyst, Fe3O4@CPTMS@Asp@Ni was successfully fabricated using Fe3O4 nanoparticles as the core that were coated with surfactant and 3‐chloropropyltrimethoxysilan and deposited asparagine and nickel metal that can be used in multicomponent reactions for the synthesis of acridines derivatives with high yield in short reaction times. The virtue of obtained nanocatalyst was identified using transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction analysis, energy dispersive X‐ray, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, vibrating sample magnetometry, Raman, and thermogravimetric analysis. The X‐ray diffraction analysis studies demonstrate that the average crystallite sizes of the prepared nanocatalyst are estimated to be about 45.4 nm. Also, the vibrating sample magnetometry measurement shows saturation magnetization values (Ms) of 7 emu/g for Fe3O4@CPTMS@Asp@Ni nanocatalyst. Also, after the synthesis steps, the application of the prepared nanocatalyst in the preparation of acridine‐1,8(2H,5H)‐diones has been investigated. Then to evaluate and assess the efficiency of the nanocatalyst as mentioned above, and its effect on the synthesis of divergent acridines via a one‐pot, three‐component condensation reaction of cyclic 1,3‐dione, aryl glyoxal, with ammonium acetate in the water as green solvent was studied. Also, when investigating the reusability of this catalyst, it was observed that Fe3O4@CPTMS@Asp@Ni nanocatalyst could be reused at least five times without losing its efficiency. High efficiency, outstanding yields in quick intervals, easy separation using a magnetic field, and possessing reusability are significant benefits of the attained nanocatalyst.

Fe3O4@SiO2@(CH2)3N+H3HCOO- Nanoparticles: A Novel and Heterogeneous Nanocatalyst for Preparation of New (Methylsulfonyl)Benzopyranophenazin-3-Amine Derivatives

An efficient synthesis of new (methylsulfonyl)benzopyranophenazin-3-amines via the condensation of 2-hydroxynaphthoquinone, 1,2-phenylenediamine, methylsulfonylacetonitrile, and arylaldehydes derivatives catalyzed by ionic liquid [(EtO)3Si–CH2–CH2–CH2–NH3 +][HCOO−] immobilized on magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2, as a novel heterogeneous nanocatalyst, was described. The novel nanocatalyst was characterized by FE-SEM, XRD, FT-IR, TGA‐DTG, and VSM techniques. The environmentally friendly protocol presented some advantages, such as a simple work-up and excellent yields. This nanocatalyst can be easily reused several times and recovered by an external magnet. The activity of the recoverable nanocatalyst remains intact even after five repeated runs.

CuCoFe2O4@AC magnetic nanocomposite as a novel heterogeneous Fenton-like nanocatalyst for Ciprofloxacin degradation from aqueous solutions

CuCoFe2O4@Activated Carbon (AC) was synthesized by a fast, simple, and green microwave-assisted coprecipitation method, and then used as a new heterogeneous magnetic nanocatalyst in Fenton-like reaction for ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation from aqueous media. CuCoFe2O4@AC was characterized by Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Mapping, Line scan, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-Ray diffraction analysis (XRD), vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) techniques. The characterization results showed that the CuCoFe2O4@AC nanocomposite was in the ferrite phase with a mesoporous, uniform, quasi-spherical surface and a particle size of about 25 nm. The total volume of single-point adsorption pores was equal to 0.22 cm3 g−1 and the specific surface area was determined to be 199.54 m2 g−1. This nanocomposite had good thermal stability with high magnetic strength. In the presence of H2O2, the synthesized nanocomposite provided a Fenton-like reaction for CIP removal from aqueous solutions. The investigation of this process showed that neutral pH, 1 g L−1 of the nanocomposite, and 73.5 mM of H2O2 were the optimal conditions for CIP removal with an initial CIP concentration of 20 mg L−1. The maximum removal efficiency of 95.77% was attained after 120 min of contact time under the optimum conditions. The CIP degradation during this Fenton-like process followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model with rate constants (Kapp) of 0.01 min−1. Finally, the CIP removal efficiency after 5 cycles of recovery and regeneration of CuFe2O4@AC was 87.65%. The excellent performance and high catalytic activity of CuCoFe2O4@AC in Fenton-like reaction for CIP removal make it have potential application foreground in the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater.

Upgrading catalytic properties of green synthesized TiO2 for green fuel production from apricot seeds oil

The ongoing energy crisis and global warming issues have pushed the research community to search for sustainable energy supplies such as biodiesel (methyl esters). In this regard, inedible oils which are not consumed by humans could be potential sources for methyl esters production. Herein, the methyl esters were produced by trans-esterifying the apricot seeds oil (ASO) employing series of green synthesized (mediated by banana peel extract) TiO2 based NiO-TiO2 heterogeneous nano-catalysts with varying loadings of NiO (5, 10 and 15 by wt%). The as-prepared catalysts were characterized using advanced techniques like FT-IR, XRD, SEM and FE-SEM. These studies established the successful impregnation of NiO with TiO2 NPs. The efficiency of NiO-TiO2 with 10 wt% of NiO loading calcined at 500 °C was superior due to the highest biodiesel yield compared to other nano-catalysts. The parametric study of transesterification reaction to yield methyl esters adapting this catalyst revealed the maximum yield (93.4 %) with MeOH: oil and catalyst loading of 20:1 and 2 wt% correspondingly in 1 h at 55 °C. GC–MS analysis was executed for investigating and confirming the composition of obtained methyl esters at optimized conditions. Furthermore, the heterogeneous catalyst was reusable for five cycles for transesterification of ASO. The kinetic investigations showed that transesterification of ASO was compatible with pseudo-first order model. In addition, fuel characteristics such as calorific and acid value were measured by using titrations and bomb calorimeter respectively and compared with ASTM6751 and EN14214 standards.

Starch nanoparticles modified with ionic liquid: A novel and efficient catalyst for the synthesis of symmetrical azine derivatives at room temperature

Starch nanoparticles modified with ionic liquid were prepared by the reaction of starch nanoparticles with N-methyl-N-propyltrimethoxysilane imidazolium chloride. They were used as a new reusable and green heterogeneous nanocatalyst for the synthesis of symmetrical azines. Different azine derivatives were prepared using this quick procedure with satisfying yields. The reaction proceeded at room temperature in solvent-free conditions with a simple work-up, short reaction times, and an easy purification technique. All products were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies. Also, the catalyst itself was characterized by FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis.

Nd-doped NiFe2O4 and its composite with CNTs to tune photocatalytic activity

Rare earth-doped spinel nano ferrites are attaining importance as heterogeneous nanocatalysts for the degradation of organic effluents. Rare earth metal doping increases the electrical and optical properties, as well as the surface-to-volume ratio of the bare sample. In this work, NiFe2O4 (NF) and Nd-NiFe2O4 (NF-1) were successfully synthesized via the co-precipitation route. Carbon nanotubes (CNT)-based nanocomposite (NF-2) was prepared using the ultra-sonication method. The prepared materials were analyzed via various physiochemical approaches. The degradation efficiency of these materials was analyzed for the degradation of Rhodamine B, methylene blue, and benzoic acid. NF-2 shows the highest efficiency among all the prepared catalysts. NF-2 shows 83.87%, 90.80%, and 66.96% degradation of Rhodamine B, methylene blue, and benzoic acid, respectively. The reason for the superior activity of NF-2 is the existence of rare earth Nd ions and CNTs. The surface area of NF increases due to the presence of carbon nanotubes and enhanced surface area provides more active sites for the degradation reaction.

Synthesis of palladium nanoparticles stabilized on Schiff base-modified ZnO particles as a nanoscale catalyst for the phosphine-free Heck coupling reaction and 4-nitrophenol reduction

Recently, the development of heterogeneous nanocatalytic systems using solid supports has been gaining importance due to some advantages such as easy handling, high thermal stability, high efficiency, reusability, and so on. Therefore, the design of catalyst supports for the preparation of stable heterogeneous catalytic systems is of great importance. In this work, Schiff base-modified ZnO particles have been developed (ZnO–Scb) as a novel support. A heterogeneous nanocatalyst system has then been prepared by immobilizing palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) on the ZnO-Scb surface as the support. The resulting palladium nanocatalyst (Pd–ZnO–Scb) structure has been characterized by different analytical techniques (FT-IR, XRD, TEM, FE-SEM, elemental mapping and EDS) and used to catalyze the Heck coupling reactions and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction. Test results revealed that Pd–ZnO–Scb could effectively couple various aryl halides with styrene in yields of up to 98% in short reaction times. Pd–ZnO–Scb was also efficiently used in the complete 4-NP reduction within 135 s at room temperature. Additionally, it was found that Pd–ZnO–Scb was more effective than other reported catalysts in the Heck coupling reaction. Moreover, the recycling tests indicated that Pd–ZnO–Scb could be easily isolated from the reaction medium and reused in seven consecutive catalytic runs while retaining its nanostructure.

Marine carrageenan‐based NiO nanocatalyst in solvent‐free synthesis of polyhydroquinoline derivatives

This study presents the preparation of nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) in the presence of marine seaweed kappa‐carrageenan (κ‐carrageenan) polysaccharide as a green stabilizer and coating agent under optimal conditions. Thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results revealed thermal stability and the presence of functional groups of κ‐carrageenan‐coated NiO (NiO@κ‐Car) NPs. The color change of the solution from green to black and advent peak at 320 nm primitively confirmed the formation of NiO NPs. Further, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of NiO@κ‐Car demonstrate rather irregular spherical and cubic morphology, showing an average size of 18 ± 1.5 nm. Further, X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms that NiO NPs appear as cubic crystal structures with a crystallite size of 23.7 nm. According to the turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF) results, green NiO@κ‐Car exhibits superior catalytic efficiency in one‐pot multicomponent synthesis of polyhydroquinoline derivatives under free‐solvent conditions. Hydrogen‐1 (1H) and carbon‐13 (13C) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra indicated the successful synthesis of various organic products. The key advantages of the proposed efficient synthetic protocol include reusability of the catalyst (four runs), simple workout, high yield of the products, environmental sustainability, and solvent‐free reaction condition. A possible mechanism was also suggested, indicating the role of NiO@κ‐Car as a proficient heterogeneous nanocatalyst in the reaction.

Nano Cr(III) Schiff-base complex supported on magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2: efficient, heterogeneous, and recoverable nanocatalyst for chemoselective synthesis of 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles

Nano Cr(III) Schiff-base complex supported on magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2: efficient, heterogeneous, and recoverable nanocatalyst for chemoselective synthesis of 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles

Biodiesel Production Using a Banana Peel Extract-Mediated Highly Basic Heterogeneous Nanocatalyst

Greener methods for the production of nanoparticles (NPs) are highly investigated to minimize the harmfulness of chemical synthetic processes. In this study, CaO (calcium oxide) NPs were synthesized using extracts of banana (Musa acuminata) leaves. The precipitate of Ca(OH)2 (calcium hydroxide) obtained from the precursor Ca(NO3)2 (calcium nitrate) was calcined at 900 °C in a muffle furnace to form CaO. The catalytic activity of the prepared CaO was studied in transesterification of soybean oil. From the 1H-NMR analysis, a high soybean oil conversion of 98.0% was obtained under the optimum reaction conditions of 8 wt% of catalyst loading, 2 h reaction time, and a 15:1 methanol to oil molar ratio at 65 °C temperature. 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and FT-IR spectroscopic studies of the product proved the formation of biodiesel. The CaO nanocatalyst was characterized using XRD, SEM-EDS, TEM, FT-IR, XPS, and BET analyses. The average diameter of the catalyst was determined as 46.2 nm from TEM analyses. The catalyst can be used successfully even after five active reaction cycles without substantial loss in the activity of the catalyst.

Core-shell magnetic microporous organic networks decorated by Cu nanoparticles for CO2 fixation reaction

In this research, a core-shell magnetic (Fe3O4, MNP) microporous organic network (MON) was first prepared, then Cu nanoparticles (NPs) were uniformly immobilized on the surface of the MON shell material. According to XPS and XRD analyses, the copper NPs are composed of metallic and oxide (CuO/Cu2O) components. TEM analysis showed that the size of the spherical Cu/CuO/Cu2O NPs immobilized on the MON surface is below 5 nm in diameter. XPS and photo PiFM analyses confirmed Cu NPs’ chelation by the amine groups on the surface of MON materials. MON-Cu/CuO/Cu2O as a heterogeneous nanocatalyst was tested for the synthesis of different carbonates via the CO2 fixation reaction. These compounds were successfully synthesized through the direct reaction between different epoxides and 0.5 MPa CO2 with yields up to 95%, in solvent-free conditions and with noticeable improvement in reaction times, reaching completion in as fast as 60 min.

Green synthesis of CaO nanocatalyst using watermelon peels for biodiesel production

Biodiesel is becoming an alternative renewable energy source as it is safe, biodegradable, and eco-friendly. Biomass-based, heterogeneous CaO nanocatalyst, prepared using watermelon peel extract was exhibited to be an outstanding catalyst for biodiesel synthesis from the transesterification of soybean oil. The optimal reaction parameters were: methanol to oil molar ratio of 20:1, catalyst content of 8 wt.%, reaction time of 2.5 h, and temperature of 65 °C. Several analytical techniques such as XRD, XPS, FT-IR, BET, SEM, TEM, and TGA were used exhaustively to study the thermal stability, chemical composition, and morphology of the green CaO nanocatalyst. Furthermore, the prepared biodiesel was characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and GC. The catalyst showed admirable stability on repetitive reuse and was found to be stable up to 5th reused cycle where a decent biodiesel yield of 81.3% was obtained.

Optimization of microreactor-assisted transesterification for biodiesel production using bimetal zirconium-titanium oxide doped magnetic graphene oxide heterogeneous nanocatalyst

The application of novel heterogeneous catalyst materials with unique physicochemical properties for the production of biodiesel can increase the sustainability of the process. In this study, a novel heterogeneous nanocatalyst (NCT) was developed and improved using a microreactor for biodiesel production from used cooking oil (UCO). The NCT was developed based on double-layered bimetal titanium-zirconium oxide nanoparticles (NPs) incorporated over magnetic graphene oxide (ZrO2-TiO2@MGO) using a simple hydrothermal method. The physiochemical morphology of newly developed NCT materials of ZrO2-TiO2 NPs and ZrO2-TiO2@MGO was investigated using FESEM, FTIR, VSM, XRD, and EDX. The effects of several independent variables, including residence duration (60–180 s), oil/methanol molar ratio (1–3), and catalyst concentration (1–5 wt.%) on biodiesel production yield were optimized. The optimum reaction conditions in the microreactor-intensified transesterification process were the ZrO2-TiO2@MGO concentration of 4.75 wt.% (oil-based), reaction duration of 180 s, and oil/ methanol ratio of 2.33. The designed microreactor-assisted ZrO2-TiO2@MGO provided a conversion rate of 99.32%. Consequently, the results revealed that the microreactor effectively shortens the transesterification time while producing a high rate of biodiesel.

Ag and Ce nanoparticles supported on silane-modified nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (Ag,Ce@SNC/A1SCA) obtained through green approach as heterogeneous catalyst towards the synthesis of 3,4-disubstituted isoxazol-5(4H)-one and polyhydroquinoline derivatives

In this report, an easy and facile approach for the fabrication of heterogenous, mesoporous nanostructure of graphitic carbon grafted with silane (AEAPTMS) and modified with nanoparticles of Ce and Ag, (Ag,Ce@SNC/A1SCA). The graphitization in carbon was induced by ionic liquid-assisted reaction between the glucose and ethylenediamine under mild conditions. It was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), powder X-ray diffraction study (PXRD), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), elemental mapping, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission (ICP-AES) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Its acts as an adaptable heterogeneous nanocatalyst in the formation of 3,4-disubstituted isoxazol-5(4H)-one and polyhydroquinoline derivatives. It displayed recyclability for five runs. The recycled catalyst was characterized by PXRD and XPS analysis. XPS analysis established the synergism between metal nanoparticles of Ag and Ce in the prepared nanomaterial.

Investigation of thermodynamic parameters, combustion, and emissions of produced biodiesel fuel (from waste oil by heterogeneous nano-catalyst of stone cutting factory sludge) and its combination with diesel fuel

Investigation of thermodynamic parameters, combustion, and emissions of produced biodiesel fuel (from waste oil by heterogeneous nano-catalyst of stone cutting factory sludge) and its combination with diesel fuel

Silver nanoparticles-based thioureidophosphonate composites: Synthesis approach and their exploitation in 4-nitrophenol reduction

Two novel mono- and bis-thioureidophosphonate cores (referred by MTP & BTP, respectively) were facilely synthesized in ionic liquid conditions and incorporated with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) via in-situ reduction method giving two heterogeneous nanocatalysts, denoted as Ag NP/MTP and Ag NP/BTP, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) tools were conducted for the as-fabricated Ag NP/TP nanocomposites revealing the good dispersion of Ag NPs in spherical black dots with average size ranges of (∼9.5–12.7 nm) and (∼17.0–22.5 nm) for Ag NP/MTP and Ag NP/BTP, respectively. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques clarified that, MTP possessing (POPh, PO, C=S, HCO, and >NH) functionalities were participated in the reduction of Ag+ ions to Ag0 NPs. The catalytic properties of both Ag NP/TP nanocomposites were verified through the chemical conversion of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to less hazardous 4-aminophenol (4-AP) comparable to the slight catalytic reduction of Ag NPs-free TP derivatives. To assess the catalytic performance, some kinetic parameters such as rate constant (Kapp), normalized rate constant (Knor), and turnover frequency (TOF) were estimated at the highest concentration of 4-NP. Accordingly, Ag NP/MTP exhibited more remarkable catalytic activity and durability toward 4-NP reduction than that of Ag NP/BTP. The simple stereochemistry and accessibility of active sites for MTP tuned the surface function with Ag+ ions, affording more stable and regular Ag NPs over the same nanoparticle with BTP. Regarding Ag NP/MTP, catalytic improvement rates to 69%, 64%, and 69% were respectively recorded for Kapp, Knor, and TOF over Ag NP/BTP. Moreover, both nanocatalysts demonstrated good surficial stability through 10 consecutive cycles. Herein, this study has provided a new sustainable route for developing new TP-wrapped metal nanocomposites as robust and selective platforms in catalytic and environmental applications.

A Novel Powerful γ-Fe2O3 @ CPTMS - Diethylene Triamine (DETA) @SO3H as a Heterogeneous Nanocatalyst, Recyclable and Efficient via Microwave-assisted for the Synthesis of Benzoxazinone- 4(3H)-one Derivatives in Green Media

Background: In order to synthesize benzoxazin-4 (3H) -one derivatives, a new inorganic- organic super-magnetic nano-hybrid (γ‐Fe2O3@ CPTMS-DETA @SO3H) nanocatalyst of the modified sulfuric acid represents a green and efficient catalyst to perform a three-component condensation reaction between various acyl chlorides, anthranilic acid and acetic anhydride (as cyclization agent), in one-pot and solvent-free conditions under microwave irradiation (4a-q). Introduction: In recent years, one of the most important subjects in synthetic organic chemistry has been green synthesis, which has applied environmentally friendly and efficient methods to synthesize biological derivatives. The use of catalysts has significant advantages, including simple separation and preparation, chemical and thermal stability, and eco-friendly nature and their features such as reusability, low cost, high efficiency and easy operation. Therefore, the mechanism is performed by a non-toxic organic catalyst that uses the chemical reactants and the least energy in accordance based on the least waste and green chemistry. Methods: Sequential addition and one-pot methods were applied to produce benzoxazinone derivatives. In the sequential addition approach, the reaction was begun by adding anthranilic acid and acetic anhydride to the reaction vessel under microwave irradiation and continued by adding γ‐ Fe2O3@ CPTMS-DETA @SO3H as super-magnetic nano-hybrid recyclable green catalysts and the desired acyl chlorides. Results: The main objective of this project was to synthesize benzoxazin-4 (3H) -one derivatives in the presence of super-paramagnetic organic-inorganic nanohybrid particles based on improved sulfonic acid (γ- Fe2O3 @ SiO2 - DETA @ SO3H) as an efficient recyclable heterogeneous catalyst. Conclusion: This paramagnetic nano-organocatalyst was characterized by EDX, VSM, TGA, FESEM, FT-IR, and XRD. Advantages of this catalyst include easy preparation, clear and easy operation, short reaction time (15–30 min), as well as without the use of toxic catalysts. In addition, the catalyst can be separated from the reaction solution using an external magnet by magnetic decantation; it can be recycled up to six times without reducing its activity.

CuFe2O4@SiO2@L-arginine@Cu(I) as a new magnetically retrievable heterogeneous nanocatalyst with high efficiency for 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles synthesis

A novel magnetic heterogeneous catalyst was synthesized through the immobilization of copper ions onto the l-arginine functionalized CuFe2O4@SiO2. The prepared catalyst was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX). The resulting catalyst was used in the ultrasonic-assisted synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles via a one-pot three-component reaction of alkynes, alkyl halides, and sodium azides under green conditions within a short time. The catalyst reusability was investigated after five cycles and no significant loss of activity was observed.

Heterogeneous Sono-Fenton like catalytic degradation of metronidazole by Fe3O4@HZSM-5 magnetite nanocomposite

In this research, Fe3O4@HZSM-5 magnetic nanocomposite was synthesized via a coprecipitation method for metronidazole (MNZ) degradation from aqueous solutions under ultrasonic irradiation which showed superb sonocatalytic activity. The synthesized magnetite nanocomposite was characterized by using field-emission scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, (FESEM-EDS), Line Scan, Dot Mapping, X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). To investigate the sonocatalytic activity of the Fe3O4@HZSM-5 magnetite nanocomposite, the sonocatalytic removal conditions were optimized by evaluating the influences of operating parameters like the dosage of catalyst, reaction time, pH, the concentration of H2O2, MNZ concentration, and pH on the MNZ removal. The MNZ maximum removal efficiency and TOC at reaction time 40 min, catalyst dose 0.4 g/L, H2O2 concentration 1 mM, MNZ initial concentration 25 mg/L, and pH 7 were achieved at 98% and 81%, respectively. Additionally, the MNZ removal efficiency in the real wastewater sample under optimal conditions was obtained at 83%. The achieved results showed that using Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model KL-H = 0.40 L mg−1, KC = 1.38 mg/L min) can describe the kinetic removal of the process. The radical scavenger tests indicated that the major reactive oxygen species were formed by hydroxyl radicals in the Sono-Fenton-like process. Evaluation of the nanocomposite reusability showed an 85% reduction in the MNZ removal efficiency after seven cycles. Based on the results, it can be concluded that Fe3O4@HZSM-5 were synthesized as magnetic heterogeneous nano-catalysts to effectively degrade MNZ, and the observed stability and recyclability demonstrated that Fe3O4@HZSM-5 was promising for the treatment of wastewater contaminated with antibiotics.