Tailored photocatalyst for azo Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB) dye removal: Characterization and performance of α-Fe2O3 on neem leaves-derived activated carbon

This study investigates the development of a tailored adsorbent for the efficient removal of Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB), a hazardous azo dye. The adsorbent is synthesized by loading α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) onto activated carbon derived from Neem leaves. The research encompasses the synthesis pro...

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Main Authors: Neeta Gupta, Ashok Raj Patel, Ashish Tiwari
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Next Materials
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949822825003892
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author Neeta Gupta
Ashok Raj Patel
Ashish Tiwari
author_facet Neeta Gupta
Ashok Raj Patel
Ashish Tiwari
author_sort Neeta Gupta
collection DOAJ
description This study investigates the development of a tailored adsorbent for the efficient removal of Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB), a hazardous azo dye. The adsorbent is synthesized by loading α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) onto activated carbon derived from Neem leaves. The research encompasses the synthesis process, characterization of the α-Fe2O3@C nanocomposite, and evaluation of its adsorption performance towards SDB dye. Characterization techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis were employed to investigate the nanocomposite's morphology, structure, and textural properties. The of a Raman spectrum, with a graphitization degree of 0.91 and peaks at 1350 cm-1 and 1595 cm-1, confirmed the formation disordered graphite-like structure. The XRD analysis confirmed the formation of the hematite phase (α-Fe2O3). The strong band around 1630 cm−1 is associated with CC stretching vibrations, and the intense absorption band at 638 cm−1 in the FT-IR spectrum, attributed to the symmetric stretching mode of Fe-O, confirmed the formation of α-Fe2O3@C. The adsorption performance was assessed by examining the influence of various parameters, including initial SDB dye concentration, light effect, contact time, solution pH, and H2O2 concentration effect. The results indicated that alkaline conditions favored degradation, with the highest degradation rate (99.94 %) achieved at pH 6. The complete degradation in 80 min of SDB was observed. Moreover, the nanocomposite exhibited outstanding reusability, effectively retaining its catalytic performance over eight consecutive cycles following straightforward filtration and recovery. This research aims to develop sustainable and efficient strategies for removing azo SDB dyes from wastewater.
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spelling doaj-art-8025a11b01d34beab8a35d33c34febde2025-08-20T03:32:23ZengElsevierNext Materials2949-82282025-07-01810087110.1016/j.nxmate.2025.100871Tailored photocatalyst for azo Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB) dye removal: Characterization and performance of α-Fe2O3 on neem leaves-derived activated carbonNeeta Gupta0Ashok Raj Patel1Ashish Tiwari2Department of Chemistry, Govt. E. Raghavendra Rao PG Science College, Bilaspur 495006, IndiaDepartment of Chemistry, Govt. E. Raghavendra Rao PG Science College, Bilaspur 495006, IndiaDepartment of Chemistry, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Government College Pamgarh, 495444, India; Corresponding author.This study investigates the development of a tailored adsorbent for the efficient removal of Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB), a hazardous azo dye. The adsorbent is synthesized by loading α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) onto activated carbon derived from Neem leaves. The research encompasses the synthesis process, characterization of the α-Fe2O3@C nanocomposite, and evaluation of its adsorption performance towards SDB dye. Characterization techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis were employed to investigate the nanocomposite's morphology, structure, and textural properties. The of a Raman spectrum, with a graphitization degree of 0.91 and peaks at 1350 cm-1 and 1595 cm-1, confirmed the formation disordered graphite-like structure. The XRD analysis confirmed the formation of the hematite phase (α-Fe2O3). The strong band around 1630 cm−1 is associated with CC stretching vibrations, and the intense absorption band at 638 cm−1 in the FT-IR spectrum, attributed to the symmetric stretching mode of Fe-O, confirmed the formation of α-Fe2O3@C. The adsorption performance was assessed by examining the influence of various parameters, including initial SDB dye concentration, light effect, contact time, solution pH, and H2O2 concentration effect. The results indicated that alkaline conditions favored degradation, with the highest degradation rate (99.94 %) achieved at pH 6. The complete degradation in 80 min of SDB was observed. Moreover, the nanocomposite exhibited outstanding reusability, effectively retaining its catalytic performance over eight consecutive cycles following straightforward filtration and recovery. This research aims to develop sustainable and efficient strategies for removing azo SDB dyes from wastewater.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949822825003892α-Fe2O3@C nanocompositeNeem leaves-derived activated carbon, adsorptionFT-IRPhotocatalysisSolochrome Dark Blue (SDB)
spellingShingle Neeta Gupta
Ashok Raj Patel
Ashish Tiwari
Tailored photocatalyst for azo Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB) dye removal: Characterization and performance of α-Fe2O3 on neem leaves-derived activated carbon
Next Materials
α-Fe2O3@C nanocomposite
Neem leaves-derived activated carbon, adsorption
FT-IR
Photocatalysis
Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB)
title Tailored photocatalyst for azo Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB) dye removal: Characterization and performance of α-Fe2O3 on neem leaves-derived activated carbon
title_full Tailored photocatalyst for azo Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB) dye removal: Characterization and performance of α-Fe2O3 on neem leaves-derived activated carbon
title_fullStr Tailored photocatalyst for azo Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB) dye removal: Characterization and performance of α-Fe2O3 on neem leaves-derived activated carbon
title_full_unstemmed Tailored photocatalyst for azo Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB) dye removal: Characterization and performance of α-Fe2O3 on neem leaves-derived activated carbon
title_short Tailored photocatalyst for azo Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB) dye removal: Characterization and performance of α-Fe2O3 on neem leaves-derived activated carbon
title_sort tailored photocatalyst for azo solochrome dark blue sdb dye removal characterization and performance of α fe2o3 on neem leaves derived activated carbon
topic α-Fe2O3@C nanocomposite
Neem leaves-derived activated carbon, adsorption
FT-IR
Photocatalysis
Solochrome Dark Blue (SDB)
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949822825003892
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