Fabrication and evaluation of a photocatalytic membrane based on Sb2O3/CBO composite for improvement of dye removal efficiency

Methylene blue (MB) and Acid Blue 25 (AB 25) dyes are organic substances that are potentially harmful to humans and the environment. In this study, a photocatalytic membrane was fabricated based on Sb2O3/CuBi2O4 (Sb2O3/CBO) composite for the degradation of MB and AB 25 dyes under visible light irradiation. At the first, several significant parameters such as pH (2, 5, 7, 9, and 11), initial dye concentration (10, 30, 50, 60, and 75 ppm), and photocatalyst dosage (0.0 05, 0.0 075, 0.01, and 0.02 g) were optimized by using Sb2O3/CBO composite under visible illumination in a batch system. Moreover, various characteristics of the as-synthesized materials were analyzed by FESEM, FTIR, XRD, PL, and UV-Vis DRS. Additionally, the continuous experiments were conducted with a hybrid of several percentages of produced nanoparticles and Polyethersulfone membrane to maximize the process efficiency. Results show that an increase in pH and catalyst dosage had a positive influence on dye degradation. Furthermore, the photocatalytic decolorization of MB in an alkaline solution was higher than that of the acidic solution and vice versa for AB 25. The optimum initial concentration and photocatalyst dose for both dye solutions were determined to be 10 ppm and 0.01 g, respectively, whereas the optimal pH values for AB 25 and MB were 2 and 11. The highest photocatalytic dye removal efficiency (94.6 percent) was obtained under optimal conditions using a 10% Sb2O3/CBO photocatalyst in the presence of a membrane. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.