Document Type : Full research article
Authors
1 M.Sc. Student in Analytical Chemistry, Payame Noor University, Shiraz, Iran.
2 Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, Assistant Professor, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
10.30473/ijac.2026.76089.1329
Abstract
Wastewater from the textile industry is classified as the most polluting of all the industrial sectors. Among these, azo dyes are one of the most important pollutants which have many toxic effects, especially carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. Thus, it is necessary to develop a powerful, eco-friendly and effective photodegradation process for the removal of azo dyes. In this study, aluminum-doped cobalt ferrite (AlCoFe₂O₄) nanoparticles were synthesized via co-precipitation as a green photocatalyst for the degradation of anionic and cationic azo dyes. The nanoparticles were characterized using XRD, EDS, DRS, FESEM, and VSM. The results of XRD showed that the nanoparticles had a cubic structure with an average diameter size less than 45 nm. The low remanent magnetization and coercivity of the nanoparticles in VSM was consistent with soft magnetic properties. Moreover, the magnetic properties of AlCoFe2O4 nanoparticles enable easy separation of the photocatalyst from the reaction medium using an external magnetic field. In addition, high absorption of AlCoFe2O4 in the visible light region makes it possible to increase photocatalytic performance of the photocatalyst under the influence of visible light. Photocatalytic tests using Methyl Orange (MO) and Bismarck Brown (BB) dyes showed that degradation strongly depends on pH (optimal pH ≈ 3 and 9 for MO and BB respectively), adsorption of dye molecules on the catalyst surface, and catalyst dosage (0.05 g) .Under optimized conditions, MO degradation reached 100% under UV irradiation, while BB degradation reached 98%. The photocatalyst maintained high performance over at least five cycles, demonstrating stability and recyclability.
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Main Subjects
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