Ultrasound-assisted adsorption of textile dyes using modified nanoclay: Central composite design optimization

Ultrasonic treatment of dye chemicals in wastewater: A review

The existence of pollutants, such as toxic organic dye chemicals, in water and wastewater raises concerns as they are inadequately eliminated through conventional water and wastewater treatment methods, including physicochemical and biological processes. Ultrasonic treatment has emerged as an advanced treatment process that has been widely applied to the decomposition of recalcitrant organic contaminants. Ultrasonic treatment has several advantages, including easy operation, sustainability, non-secondary pollutant production, and saving energy. This review examines the elimination of dye chemicals and categorizes them into cationic and anionic dyes based on the existing literature. The objectives include (i) analyzing the primary factors (water quality and ultrasonic conditions) that influence the sonodegradation of dye chemicals and their byproducts during ultrasonication, (ii) assessing the impact of the different sonocatalysts and combined systems (with ozone and ultraviolet) on sonodegradation, and (iii) exploring the characteristics-based removal mechanisms of dyes. In addition, this review proposes areas for future research on ultrasonic treatment of dye chemicals in water and wastewater.

Synergistic sono-adsorption and adsorption-enhanced sonochemical degradation of dyes in water by additive manufactured PVDF-based materials

The present study proposes the first mechanistic model accounting for the most meaningful physico-chemical phenomena taking place in liquid phase adsorption processes under ultrasound. Initially, this study was aimed at developing an easy-to-make and easy-to-recover piezocatalyst for the degradation of RhB in water by combining the high piezocatalytical performance of BaTiO3 with a compatible piezoelectric support such as PVDF, manufactured by a customised additive manufacturing - direct ink writing system with in-situ poling. However, initial results showed that the resulting PVDF-BaTiO3 composite slabs performed worse than BaTiO3 piezocatalysts on their own, and that poling did not have any effect on their performance (82% RhB removal after 2 h when using either poled or unpoled PVDF-BaTiO3 composite slabs compared to 92% RhB removal after 2 h in presence of BaTiO3 piezocatalysts). Further investigation with pure PVDF materials demonstrated that, instead of piezocatalysis, synergistic ultrasound-assisted adsorption and sonochemical degradation were taking place, enabling the removal of >95% of the dye within 40 min of ultrasound treatment in the presence of 4 g L-1 of additive manufactured PVDF slabs. The results of this study and their evaluation with the mechanistic model proposed for liquid phase adsorption under ultrasound suggest that the adsorption of RhB on additive manufactured PVDF slabs was enhanced by the structure, higher specific surface ratio and higher volume of mesopores achieved through the 3D-printing process, as well as the minimisation of film resistance to mass transport due to ultrasound. Moreover, adsorption on additive manufactured PVDF enhanced the sonochemical degradation of the dye due to its high concentration in the adsorbed phase. This study demonstrates that adsorption processes, especially in the presence of PVDF materials, may be significantly more important in piezocatalysis than what has been reported to date, to the point that the synergistic combination of sono-adsorption and sonochemical degradation in presence of additive-manufactured PVDF slabs may be enough to achieve high removal rates of dyes in water.

Norfloxacin removal by ultraviolet-activated sodium percarbonate and sodium hypochlorite: process optimization and anion effect

The efficiency of UV-activated sodium percarbonate (SPC) and sodium hypochlorite (SHC) in Norfloxacin (Norf) removal from an aqueous solution was assessed. Control experiments were conducted and the synergistic effect of the UV-SHC and UV-SPC processes were 0.61 and 2.89, respectively. According to the first-order reaction rate constants, the process rates were ranked as UV-SPC > SPC > UV and UV-SHC > SHC > UV. Central composite design was applied to determine the optimum operating conditions for maximum Norf removal. Under optimum conditions (UV-SPC: 1 mg/L initial Norf, 4 mM SPC, pH 3, 50 min; UV-SHC: 1 mg/L initial Norf, 1 mM SHC, pH 7, 8 min), the removal yields for the UV-SPC and UV-SHC were 71.8 and 72.1%, respectively. HCO₃^-, Cl^-, NO₃^-, and SO₄^2- negatively affected both processes. UV-SPC and UV-SHC processes were effective for Norf removal from aqueous solution. Similar removal efficiencies were obtained with both processes; however, this removal efficiency was achieved in a much shorter time and more economically with the UV-SHC process.

Chitosan-polyethylene oxide/clay-alginate nanofiber hydrogel scaffold for bone tissue engineering: Preparation, physical characterization, and biomimetic mineralization

This study aimed to prepare a novel organic-mineral nanofiber/hydrogel of chitosan-polyethylene oxide (CS-PEO)/nanoclay-alginate (NC-ALG). The effects of NC particles on the mineralization and biocompatibility of the scaffold were investigated. A layer-by-layer scaffold composed of CS-PEO and NC-ALG was prepared. The morphological properties, swelling, biodegradation, and mechanical behaviors of the scaffolds were evaluated. Furthermore, scaffolds were characterized by the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques. Bone-like apatite formation ability of the scaffolds was determined by the mineralization test in a simulated body fluid (M-SBF). In addition, the crystalline phase of bone-like apatite precipitates was investigated by XRD analysis. The cell compatibility of the scaffolds was also studied with osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 by MTT assay. Notably, the incorporation of NC particles in CS-PEO/ALG scaffolds is suitable for bone tissue regeneration which enhances bone-like apatite formation. Further, the hemolysis and MTT assays demonstrated that CS-PEO/NC-ALG scaffold was compatible and safe for MC3T3 cells.

Synthesis of bagasse nanocellulose-filled composite polyurethane xerogel for the efficient adsorption of Rhodamine-B dye from aqueous solution: investigation of adsorption parameters

In this study, polyurethane (PU)-based xerogels were synthesized by using the biobased polyol derived from chaulmoogra seed oil. These polyol was used for the preparation of PU xerogels using methylene diphenyl diisocyanate hard segment and polyethylene glycol (PEG6000) as soft segment with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2, 2, 2]octane as catalyst. Tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile and dimethyl sulfoxide were used as the solvents. Nanocellulose (5 wt %) prepared from bagasse were added as filler, and the obtained composite xerogels were evaluated for chemical stability. The prepared samples were also characterized by using SEM and FTIR. Waste sugarcane bagasse nanocellulose proved as a cheap reinforcer in the xerogel synthesis and for the adsorption of Rhodamine-B dye from the aqueous solution. The factors that affect the adsorption process have been studied including the quantity of the adsorbent (0.02-0.06 g), pH (6-12), temperature (30-50) and time (30-90). Central composite design for four variables and three levels with response surface methodology has been used to get second-order polynomial equation for the percentage dye removal. RSM was confirmed by the measurement of analysis of variance. Increase in the pH and quantity of the adsorbent was found to increase the sorption capacities of the xerogel (NC-PUXe) towards rhodamine B, maximum adsorption.

Surface modification of TiO2/ZnO nanoparticles by organic acids with enhanced methylene blue and rhodamine B dye adsorption properties

The United Nations Organization (UNO) has revealed that approximately 2.1 billion people do not have access to treated water. Methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B are produced as water pollutants in textile, plastic, and dye industries. In this study, oxalic acid or lactic acid surface-modification were applied to TiO₂/ZnO nanoparticles aiming to improve antibacterial and adsorption properties. The mixtures containing the corresponding acid and nanoparticles in 0.25 : 1/0.5 : 1 ratios of ZnO and TiO₂ correspondingly were subjected to ultrasonic treatment with a catenoidal ultrasonic probe coupled to a homemade ultrasonic generator with an output power of 750 W, wave amplitude of 50% and variable frequency in the range of 15-50 kHz. To verify the influence of the ultrasonic treatment, different treatment times of 30, 45, 60, and 90 min were applied. Unmodified and modified TiO₂/ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR, TGA, XRD, SEM, and XPS. From the results, obtained from the physicochemical characterization, in the ZTO90 and ZTL90 samples a greater modification was shown. The SEM images showed that a coating was present on the surface of the ceramic particles of the ZTL90 sample. The O 1s deconvolution in the XPS spectra indicates a greater presence of C[double bond, length as m-dash]O bonds in the ZTL90 sample. In parallel, the sample ZTL90 presented 85 and 89% adsorption efficiency for MB and rhodamine B dyes in a time of 12 min, and important antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. epidermis could be evidenced.

Removal of Basic Orange 2 dye and Ni2+ from aqueous solutions using alkaline-modified nanoclay

In the present research, the removal of Basic Orange 2 (BO2) dye using alkaline-modified clay nanoparticles was studied. To characterize the adsorbent, XRD, FTIR, FESEM, EDX, BET and BJH analyses were performed. The effect of the variables influencing the dye adsorption process such as adsorbent dose, contact time, pH, stirring rate, temperature, and initial dye concentration was investigated. Furthermore, the high efficiency of Ni²⁺ removal indicated that it is possible to remove both dye and metal cation under the same optimum conditions. The experimental data were analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Fitting the experimental data to Langmuir isotherm indicated that the monolayer adsorption of dye occurred at homogeneous sites. Experimental data were also analyzed with pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intra-particle diffusion kinetic equations for kinetic modeling of the dye removal process. The adsorption results indicated that the process follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic parameters of the dye adsorption process such as enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy changes were calculated and revealed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. The results presented the high potential of the modified nanoclay as a cost-effective adsorbent for the removal of BO2 dye and Ni²⁺ from aqueous medium.

Application of immobilized ZnO nanoparticles for the photocatalytic regeneration of ultrasound pretreated-granular activated carbon

In this study, the photocatalytic regeneration by ZnO was employed for the regeneration of the granular activated carbon (GAC) which was saturated with the reactive red 43. The ultrasound was applied as a pretreatment step due to the cleanup of the adsorbent surface and providing a higher surface area and adsorption capacity. According to the nitrogen gas adsorption-desorption results, the ultrasound pretreated-GAC had the highest surface area and the total pore volume. The SEM and XRD analyses confirmed the immobilization of ZnO nanoparticles on the GAC. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to model and optimize the preparation of the granular activated carbon/ZnO nanocomposite. The sonication time, pH, GAC/ZnO ratio, and calcination temperature were used as four effective parameters on nanocomposite preparation. Optimum amounts of pH, GAC/ZnO ratio, calcination temperature, and sonication time were found to be equal to 4, 5, 300 °C, 210 min, respectively; in these conditions, 83.98% of the capacity of the exhausted granular activated carbon was regenerated. ANOVA results, high R², R²-adj values, and also normal and random distribution of residuals showed that application of RSM for the modeling and optimizing the preparation step of GAC/ZnO nanocomposite was successful.

Magnetic nanocomposites decorated on multiwalled carbon nanotube for removal of Maxilon Blue 5G using the sono-Fenton method

Herein, multiwalled carbon nanotube-based Fe3O4 nano-adsorbents (Fe3O4@MWCNT) were synthesized by ultrasonic reduction method. The synthesized nano-adsorbent (Fe3O4@MWCNT) exhibited efficient sonocatalytic activity to remove Maxilon Blue 5G, a textile dye, and present in a cationic form, in aqueous solution under ultrasonic irradiation. The magnetic nano-adsorbent particles were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Some important parameters such as nano-adsorbent dosage, solution pH, initial dye and H2O2 concentration, reaction time, ultrasonic power and temperature were tested to determine the optimum conditions for the elimination of Maxilon Blue 5G dye. The reusability results showed that Fe3O4@MWCNT nano-adsorbent has a decrease of about 32.15% in the removal efficiency of Maxilon Blue 5G under ultrasonic irradiation after six times reuse. Additionally, in order to reveal the sufficient kinetic explanation, various experiments were performed at different temperatures and testing three kinetic models like the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion for removal adsorption process of Maxilon Blue 5G using Fe3O4@MWCNT nano-adsorbent. The experimental kinetic results revealed that the adsorption process of Maxilon Blue 5G in the aquatic mediums using sono-Fenton method was found to be compatible with the intraparticle diffusion. Using kinetic models and studies, some activation parameters like enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy for the adsorption process were calculated. The activation parameters indicated that Fe3O4@MWCNT nano-adsorbent could be used as an effective adsorbent for the removal of Maxilon Blue 5G as a textile dye and the adsorption process of Maxilon Blue 5G with Fe3O4@MWCNT nano-adsorbent is spontaneous.

Modification of Immobilized Titanium Dioxide Nanostructures by Argon Plasma for Photocatalytic Removal of Organic Dyes

The aim of this study was to modify surface properties of immobilized rutile TiO₂ using Argon cold plasma treatment and to evaluate the performance of the catalyst in photocatalytic elimination of synthetic dyes in UV/TiO₂/H₂O₂ process. The surface-modified TiO₂ was characterized by XRD, EDX, SEM, UV-DRS and XPS analyses. Response surface methodology was adopted to achieve high catalyst efficiency by evaluating the effect of two main independent cold plasma treatment parameters (exposure time and pressure) on surface modification of the catalyst. The increase of the plasma operation pressure led to higher decolorization percentage, while the increase of plasma exposure time decreased the decolorization efficiency. RSM methodology predicted optimum plasma treatment conditions to be 0.78 Torr and 21 min of exposure time, which resulted in decolorization of 10 mg/L solution of the malachite green solution by 94.94% in 30 min. The plasma treatment decreased the oxygen to titanium ratio and caused oxygen vacancy on the surface of the catalyst, resulting in the superior performance of the plasma-treated catalyst. Pseudo first-order kinetic rate constant for the plasma-treated catalyst was 4.28 and 2.03 times higher than the rate constant for the non-treated photocatalyst in decolorization of aqueous solutions of malachite green and crystal violet, respectively.

Implementation of martite nanoparticles prepared through planetary ball milling as a heterogeneous activator of oxone for degradation of tetracycline antibiotic: Ultrasound and peroxy-enhancement

The aim of the present study was to employ martite nanoparticles synthesized through planetary ball milling instead of conventional sources of iron for the activation of Oxone in order to decompose tetracycline (TC) antibiotic in the aquatic phase. Accordingly, martite nanoparticles-activated Oxone exhibited a remarkable improvement in degrading TC molecules up to 87%. The results indicated an increased decomposition rate of TC with increasing Oxone concentration, martite nanoparticles dosage, and initial pH. In the absence of ultrasound, the decomposition rate of TC was 0.0481 min^-1 within 30 min, while the implementation of ultrasound at 320 W and addition of hydrogen peroxide at 40 mM led to increase in the decomposition rate up to 0.0770 and 0.0907 min^-1, respectively. The presence of carbonate and even persulfate ions suppressed the decomposition rate. Inversely, the addition of chloride and carbon tetrachloride enhanced the reactor performance in terms of TC degradation. Within four consecutive experimental runs, only 10.8% was dropped in the decomposition rate, indicating the appropriate reusability potential of martite nanoparticles. The results confirmed the appropriate ability of the treatment process in degrading and mineralizing the target pollutant but a longer exposure time is required for an efficient mineralization.

Sonocatalytic removal of methylene blue from water solution by cobalt ferrite/mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (CoFe2O4/mpg-C3N4) nanocomposites: response surface methodology approach

In this study, cobalt ferrite/mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (CoFe₂O₄/mpg-C₃N₄) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by using a two-step protocol. Firstly, monodispersed CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via thermal decomposition of metal precursors in a hot surfactant solution and then they were assembled on mpg-C₃N₄ via a liquid phase self-assembly method. The sonocatalytic performance of as-synthesized CoFe₂O₄/mpg-C₃N₄ nanocomposites was evaluated on the methylene blue (MB) removal from water under ultrasonic irradiation. For this purpose, response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD) model was successfully utilized to optimize the MB removal over CoFe₂O₄/mpg-C₃N₄ nanocomposites. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to investigate the significance of the model. The results predicted by the model were obtained to be in reasonable agreement with the experimental data (R² = 0.969, adjusted R² = 0.942). Pareto analysis demonstrated that pH of the solution was the most effective parameter on the sonocatalytic removal of MB by CoFe₂O₄/mpg-C₃N₄ nanocomposites. The optimum catalyst dose, initial dye concentration, pH, and sonication time were set as 0.25 g L^-1, 8 mg L^-1, 8, and 45 min, respectively. The high removal efficiency of MB dye (92.81%) was obtained under optimal conditions. The trapping experiments were done by using edetate disodium, tert-butyl alcohol, and benzoquinone. Among the reactive radicals, ^•OH played a more important role than h⁺ and [Formula: see text] in the MB dye removal process. Moreover, a proposed mechanism was also presented for the removal of MB in the presence of CoFe₂O₄/mpg-C₃N₄ nanocomposites under the optimized sonocatalytic conditions. Finally, a reusability test of the nanocomposites revealed a just 9.6% decrease in their removal efficiency after five consecutive runs.

Implementation of continuously electro-generated Fe3O4 nanoparticles for activation of persulfate to decompose amoxicillin antibiotic in aquatic media: UV254 and ultrasound intensification

In the present investigation, the treatment of amoxicillin (AMX)-polluted water by the activated persulfate (PS) was considered. As a novel research, continuously electro-generated magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles (CEMNPs) were utilized as the activator of PS in an electrochemical medium. The PS/CEMNPs displayed a remarkable enhancement in the decomposition of AMX molecules up to 72.6% compared with lonely PS (24.8%) and CEMNPs (13.4%). On the basis of pseudo-first order reaction rate constants, the synergy percent of about 70% was achieved due to the combination of PS with CEMNPs. The adverse influence of free radical-scavenging compounds on the efficiency of the PS/CEMNPs process was in the following order: carbonate < chloride < tert-butyl alcohol < ethanol. Overall, these results proved the main role of free radical species in degrading AMX. The implementation of ultrasound (US) enhanced the performance of the PS/CEMNPs process. Nevertheless, the highest degradation efficiency of about 94% was achieved when UV₂₅₄ lamp was joined the PS/CEMNPs system. Under UV₂₅₄ and US irradiation, the results showed significant potential of the PS/CEMNPs process for degrading AMX antibiotic and generating low toxic effluent based on the activated sludge inhibition test. However, more time is needed to achieve the acceptable mineralization.

Decomposition of ibuprofen in water via an electrochemical process with nano-sized carbon black-coated carbon cloth as oxygen-permeable cathode integrated with ultrasound

The main aim of the present investigation was the treatment of ibuprofen (IBP)-polluted aquatic phase using a novel oxygen-permeable cathode (OPC)-equipped electrochemical process (ECP) integrated with ultrasound (US). According to kinetic modeling, the decomposition rate of IBP by the integrated process was 3.2 × 10^-2 min^-1 which was significant in comparison with the OPC-equipped ECP (1.4 × 10^-2 min^-1) and US alone (2.4 × 10^-3 min^-1). Increasing the current resulted in the enhanced generation of H₂O₂ and consequently, improved the degradation of IBP in the solution. Excessive concentrations of Na₂SO₄ as supporting electrolyte led to no significant enhancement in the reactor efficiency. At initial IBP concentration of 1 mg L^-1, complete removal of IBP with reaction rate of 1.7 × 10^-1 min^-1 was happened within a short reaction time of 30 min. The pulse mode of US led to more than 10% increase in the removal efficiency compared with the normal mode. The presence of scavenging compound of methanol caused the highest drop in the efficiency of the integrated treatment process, indicating the substantial role of free hydroxyl radicals in the degradation of IBP. Intermediate byproducts generated in the solution during the decomposition were also identified and interpreted.

Heterogeneous sono-Fenton-like process using magnetic cobalt ferrite-reduced graphene oxide (CoFe2O4-rGO) nanocomposite for the removal of organic dyes from aqueous solution

We report herein the synthesis of monodisperse cobalt ferrite (CoFe₂O₄) nanoparticles (NPs) via a surfactant-assisted high temperature thermal decomposition method and then their assembly on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to yield CoFe₂O₄-rGO nanocomposites, which displayed outstanding sonocatalytic activity for the removal of organic dyes from aqueous solutions under ultrasonic irradiation. As-prepared CoFe₂O₄-rGO nanocomposites were characterized by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Micro-Raman spectroscopy, Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and inductively couple plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). To evaluate the sonocatalytic activity of the CoFe₂O₄-rGO nanocomposites, the sonocatalytic removal of several organic dyes (AO7, AR17, BR46 and BY28) was studied. The reaction conditions were optimized by studying the effects of various key operating parameters such as pH, catalyst dosage, H₂O₂ initial concentration, initial dye concentration, ultrasonic power and reaction time on the removal of AO7 dye. The maximum removal efficiency of 90.5% was achieved at pH 3 using 0.08gL^-1 catalyst, 3mM H₂O₂ and 10mgL^-1 AO7 dye under 350W ultrasonic power in 120min of reaction time span. Experimental results revealed that the kinetic of the removal process could be described using Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) kinetic model. The trapping experiments showed that O₂^·- radicals constitute the major reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the AO7 dye removal process. The reusability of the nanocomposites revealed about 22% drop in the removal efficiency within five consecutive runs. A possible sonocatalytic mechanism for the removal of organic dyes was also proposed. The intermediate by-products of the dye formed in the removal process were characterized by using the GC-MS technique.

Design of a new technique based on combination of ultrasound waves via magnetite solid phase and cloud point microextraction for determination of Cr(III) ions

In this work, we focused on development of a new techniques by coupling of ultrasound irradiation, cloud point method and magnetite solid phase microextraction for the extraction and preconcentration of Cr(III) ions from aqueous solutions. In order to reduce cost and improve practicability of proposed process a new efficient and regenerable magnetite sorbent (functionalized chitosan grafted-amino graphene oxide (GO) decorated by zinc ferrite nanoparticles (CS-GO-Zn: Fe₂O₄)) was synthesized through hydrothermal method and then characterized by FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDS and XRD analysis. Effect of initial sample volume and type, volume and concentration of eluent on the ER%_Cr(III) were investigated and optimized using one at a time method. Correlation between the main and interaction effects of other operational parameters such as Cr(III) ion concentration, CS-GO-Zn: Fe₂O₄ mass, sonication time, pH and solution temperature on the ER%_Cr(III) were investigated and optimized by central composite design coupled with desirability function approach. The results revealed that there were significant effects for most investigated terms on the ER%_Cr(III) and maximum ER% of 88.09% was obtained in desirability value of 1.0. This maximum efficiency was obtained at 0.035µg/mL Cr(III) ion concentration, 40.16°C temperature, 0.016g of CS-GO-Zn: Fe₂O₄, pH 6.36 and 9.20min sonication time. In addition, under the optimal conditions the linear range, limit of detection, enrichment factor and relative standard deviation were found to be 0.02-4.4µg/mL, 0.002µg/mL, 23.23 and 1.68% respectively. Finally, the method was successfully applied to the separation and preconcentration of Cr(III) ion from tap, river and mineral waters.

Optimization of a textile dye degradation in a recirculating fluidized-bed reactor using magnetite/S2O82- process

Optimization of Acid Orange 7 (AO7) treatment using heterogeneous Fenton-like method in a recirculating fluidized-bed reactor (FBR) was investigated by using central composite design (CCD). Natural magnetite (NM) as Fenton-like catalyst was characterized using scanning electron microscopy. A nonlinear CCD model was obtained for the prediction of dye degradation as a function of experimental variables such as peroxydisulfate concentration (0.1-0.5 mmol/L), initial AO7 concentration (5-25 mg/L), pH (3-9) and NM dosage (0.25-1.25 g/L) after 105 min of treatment. The calculated results by the model were consistent with the experimental results (R² = 0.959). Furthermore, the model is suitable to estimate the optimum operational conditions and determine the effects of the parameters for maximum AO7 degradation. Eventually, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy was used for the recognition of the dye degradation by-products.

Ultrasound-assisted Fenton process using siderite nanoparticles prepared via planetary ball milling for removal of reactive yellow 81 in aqueous phase

Nano-sized siderite was used as catalyst for the heterogeneous Fenton process combined with ultrasonic irradiation to degrade reactive yellow 81 (RY-81) in the aqueous phase. As the most efficient process, nano-sized siderite prepared via ball milling was chosen to carry out the experiments. 6h milled siderite at initial pH of 3.0 led to the highest removal efficiency of 92.09% within the reaction time of 30min. At a short reaction time of 20min, increasing siderite nanoparticles dosage from 0.3 to 0.75g/L resulted in increasing removal efficiency from 49.82 to 79.86%, respectively, while further increase in the dosage caused a substantial decrease in the efficiency. In the case of the effect of solute concentration, increasing the dye up to 400mg/L led to a significant decrease in the removal efficiency (65.77%). The presence of 0.01M Na₂CO₃ and C₂H₅OH significantly diminished the decolorization efficiency of RY-81 (<10%) with initial concentration of 100mg/L. The intermediates produced during the treatment process were also identified using GC-MS analysis. This research suggested that ball milled siderite is a potential catalyst for the efficient decolorization of textile effluents via ultrasound-assisted Fenton process.

Sono-assisted adsorption of a textile dye on milk vetch-derived charcoal supported by silica nanopowder

This study was performed to assess the efficiency of silica nanopowder (SNP)/milk vetch-derived charcoal (MVDC) nanocomposite coupled with the ultrasonic irradiation named sono-adsorption process for treating water-contained Basic Red 46 (BR46) dye. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were performed for the characterization of as-prepared adsorbent. The sono-assisted adsorption process was optimized using response surface optimization on the basis of central composite design by the application of quadratic model. Accordingly, the color removal can be retained more than 93% by an initial BR46 concentration of 8 mg/L, sonication time of 31 min, adsorbent dosage of 1.2 g/L and initial pH of 9. The pseudo-second order kinetic model described the sono-assisted adsorption of BR46 reasonably well (R² > 0.99). The intra-particular diffusion kinetic model pointed out that the sono-assisted adsorption of BR46 onto SNP/MVDC nanocomposite was diffusion controlled as well as that ultrasonication enhanced the diffusion rate.

Heterogeneous photocatalytic ozonation of ciprofloxacin using synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles on a montmorillonite support: parametric studies, mechanistic analysis and intermediates identification

A titanium dioxide/montmorillonite (TiO₂/MMT) nanocomposite was prepared as a photocatalyst by a hydrothermal method.