Synthesis and investigation of TiO₂/Na-mordenite nanocomposite for photocatalytic degradation of acid red 57 dye: Experimental design optimization

This study described the creation of a nanocomposite (TiO2/NaMOR) based on Na-mordenite (NaMOR) and anatase (TiO2). The prepared material was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) theory, Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Under UV irradiation, photocatalytic processes were evaluated in the degradation of acid red 57 dye (AR57). Within 90 mins of irradiation, TiO2/NaMOR exhibits the highest photocatalytic dye degradation efficacy of 91.75% for AR57 dye. The effects of operating parameters, such as catalyst dosage, pH, and starting dye concentration, were assessed. The degradation rate of the dye rose as the dosage of TiO2/NaMOR catalyst was increased, while the dye’s original concentration dropped, based on the results. The study of the kinetics of the photodegradation of AR57 by TiO2/NaMOR indicated a pseudo-first-order response, with an R2 value of 0.989. The impact of scavengers on reactive species during degradation was also examined, revealing that (•O2−) and (•OH) radicals were the primary classes involved. Terephthalic acid was used as an inquiry molecule in photoluminescence studies to ascertain the production of •OH free radicals because of irradiation. A Box-Behnken model was constructed based on three factors, and response surface methodology (RSM) was used to verify the best conditions for the photodegradation of AR57 by TiO2/NaMOR. The TiO2/NaMOR composite’s promise as a promising catalyst for photocatalytic applications has been amply proven by this work.