Advanced Oxidation of Azo Dye Pollutants via a Magnetic Ternary Composite Catalyst Assisted Photoelectro-Fenton Process
WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION, cilt.237, sa.19, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 237 Sayı: 19
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s11270-026-09787-5
- Dergi Adı: WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, ABI/INFORM, Artic & Antarctic Regions, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, EMBASE, Environment Index, Geobase, Greenfile, Zoological Record, Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Earth, Atmospheric, & Aquatic Science Collection (ProQuest), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of coupling a modified carbonaceous cathode with a ternary composite catalyst composed of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), Fe3O4, and TiO2 in a heterogeneous photoelectro-Fenton (hPEF) process for methyl orange (MO) degradation. The performance of the proposed hPEF system was evaluated and compared against various advanced oxidation processes, including anodic oxidation, heterogeneous electro-Fenton, and photocatalytic degradation. The hPEF method achieved substantially superior degradation and mineralization efficiencies due to the unique structural advantages of the ternary composite. Interfacial contact between the constituent materials provided an efficient heterojunction that suppress electron-hole recombination and enhances light utilization under UV irradiation. Furthermore, the incorporation of Fe3O4 provided magnetic recoverability to the catalyst, which enabled its rapid separation from the treated solution. Owing to the combined structural contributions of rGO, Fe3O4, and TiO2, the hPEF system exhibited a markedly higher treatment performance than anodic oxidation, heterogeneous electro-Fenton, and photocatalytic processes. Under optimized operational conditions of 0.5 g L-1 catalyst amount, 500 mA current intensity, and pH 3, complete degradation and mineralization were achieved within 15 and 40 min, respectively, whereas required treatment time for the complete mineralization of real textile wastewater was determined as 120 min. The easily recoverable catalyst system also demonstrated satisfactory operational stability. Its catalytic performance was largely maintained over eight consecutive 180-min treatment cycles and no apparent deterioration in structural integrity was observed. Scavenging experiments indicated that MO degradation proceeds through multiple parallel pathways; although hydroxyl radicals (center dot OH) play the dominant role, the process is synergistically supported by photo-generated holes, photo-assisted iron cycling, and possible interfacial electron transfer pathways. Ultimately, through the utilization of unique structural properties of the ternary catalyst and diverse oxidative pathways, the developed hPEF system presents a robust, highly efficient, and easily separable technology suitable for the sustainable remediation of recalcitrant organic contaminants in wastewater applications.