A Magnetic Photocatalytic Composite Derived from Waste Rice Noodle and Red Mud.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Waste valorization is crucial for sustainable development.
• Red mud (RM) and waste rice noodles (WRN) are abundant industrial wastes.
• Developing efficient magnetic photocatalysts is key for water treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a novel magnetic photocatalytic composite from WRN and RM.
• To investigate the composite's structure and photocatalytic properties.
• To evaluate its efficiency in degrading organic pollutants and its reusability.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal processing of WRN to obtain carbon quantum dots (CQDs).
• Acid dissolution of RM followed by mixing with CQDs and hydrothermal treatment.
• Characterization of the CQDs/γ-Fe2O3 composite.
• Photocatalytic degradation experiments using methylene blue and other organic dyes.

Main Results:

• A novel CQDs/γ-Fe2O3 magnetic photocatalytic composite was successfully synthesized.
• The composite demonstrated enhanced electron-hole pair separation and radical production.
• Achieved 97.6% methylene blue degradation and high efficiency for other dyes.
• The material showed excellent reusability with over 96% efficiency after 10 cycles.

Conclusions:

• The developed magnetic photocatalyst from waste materials is highly effective for degrading organic pollutants.
• The synergistic effect between CQDs and γ-Fe2O3 enhances photocatalytic activity.
• The material's magnetic properties facilitate easy recovery and reuse, enabling cost-effective water purification.