Christina Wahyu Kartikowati, Mar’atul Fauziyah, Wahyu Diski Pratama, Fatimah Fitri Khoiriyah, Ika Oktavia Wulandari, Osi Arutanti, Aditya Farhan Arif
Fe2O3 is a widely used binary semiconductor photocatalyst, yet its performance is hindered by factors such as high electron-hole recombination rates, short hole diffusion lengths (2-4 nm), and poor conductivity. These limitations reduce its efficiency in organic dye degradation. AC is a well-known adsorbent and catalyst support material with a high surface area and excellent adsorption capabilities. When integrated with metal oxide photocatalysts such as Fe2O3, AC provides a larger surface area for dye adsorption and plays a pivotal role in electron transfer processes, mitigating electron-hole recombination and improving photocatalytic performance. To enhance the photocatalytic performance of Fe2O3, Fe2O3/Activated Carbon (AC) composites were synthesized using the one-step hydrothermal method. The composites were tested for their ability to degrade methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation. Notably, the composite with 25% AC exhibited the highest efficiency, achieving a remarkable 96.72% reduction in MO concentration within 120 minutes. This enhanced degradation results from a synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis. Our findings underscore the potential of Fe2O3/AC composites as high-performance photocatalysts for organic dye degradation, with significant implications for environmental remediation and related applications. © 2024 Author(s).
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Diponegoro, Semarang, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia; Research Center for Advanced Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta, Indonesia; Indonesia Mining and Mineral Research Institute, Mining Industry Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
