Development of a New Visible-Light-Active K₂Fe₄O₇ Photocatalyst for Effective Removal of Methylene Blue from Polluted Water

Ahmed  Thaer; Ibrahim Fahad  Waheed

doi:10.17605/cajmns.v6i4.2864

Ahmed Thaer College of Science, Department of Industrial Chemistry, Tikrit University, Salahaddin, Tikrit, Iraq
Ibrahim Fahad Waheed College of Science, Department of Industrial Chemistry, Tikrit University, Salahaddin, Tikrit, Iraq

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/cajmns.v6i4.2864

Keywords: K₂Fe₄O₇, Photocatalysis, Methylene Blue (MB), Hydrothermal Treatment

Abstract

In this study, a novel photocatalyst, (K₂Fe₄O₇), was successfully synthesized via hydrothermal treatment. The synthesized compound was employed for the degradation and removal of methylene blue (MB) dye pollutants under xenon light irradiation. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the photocatalyst were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), The UV-Vis results revealed a significant photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under xenon light, achieving a removal efficiency of 85% within 152 minutes. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was attributed to the synergistic interaction between different semiconducting phases, which facilitated improved charge separation and transfer. Moreover, the observed blue shift in the visible absorption spectrum further confirmed the compound’s enhanced capability in visible-light-driven photocatalysis. These findings suggest that K₂Fe₄O₇ is a promising visible-light-active photocatalyst for real-world wastewater treatment applications.

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