Photo-Fenton-like degradation of azo dye methyl orange using synthetic ammonium and hydronium jarosite

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds 2013-01, Vol.546, p.112-118
• Main Authors: Xu, Zhihui, Liang, Jianru, Zhou, Lixiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ammonium jarosite; Azo; Catalysis; Catalysts; Chemistry; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Degradation; Dyes; Electrochemistry; Electrodes: preparations and properties; Electron and ion emission by liquids and solids; impact phenomena; Exact sciences and technology; Field emission, ionization, evaporation, and desorption; General and physical chemistry; General, apparatus; Growth from solutions; Hydronium jarosite; Jarosite; Materials science; Methods of crystal growth; physics of crystal growth; Methyl orange; Photo-Fenton-like; Photocatalysis; Physics; Scanning electron microscopy; Surface physical chemistry
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2012.08.087

► Hydronium and ammonium jarosite could catalyze the oxidation of methyl orange in photo-Fenton-like process. ► The oxidation process is essentially heterogeneous, not homogeneous. ► Hydronium jarosite has stronger reactivity than ammonium jarosite. Ammonium and hydronium jarosite were prepared by hydrothermal method with urea as the homogeneous precipitant. X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectrum, UV–vis spectra and fourier transform infrared spectrum were used to characterize the resulting products. The photodegradation efficiency of the prepared ammonium and hydronium jarosite was studied in a photo-Fenton-like process using methyl orange (MO) as target pollutant. The photocatalytic degradation of MO over synthetic ammonium and hydronium jarosite under various conditions, such as catalysts loading, H2O2 concentration and initial pH, has been investigated. Results show that ammonium and hydronium jarosite have satisfactory photocatalysis effect in degradation of MO azo dye, and that the reactivity of hydronium jarosite toward the mineralization of MO was higher than that of ammonium jarosite. The novel ammonium and hydronium jarosite catalysts would be important for industrial applications due to their high photoactivity, little iron leaching and low cost.