Ag3PO4-Supported Magnetic Hydroxyapatite Composite as Green Photocatalyst for the Removal of Cationic and Anionic Dyes from Aqueous Solution

Eggshells were used as the main source for the synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HAp), and the semiconductor material Ag3PO4 was synthesized by the crystal formation process on magnetic HAp. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area, and X-ray photoelectron, Fourier transform infrared, and ultraviolet-visible light diffuse reflectance spectroscopy were employed to study the phase structure, surface morphology, and optical properties of the composite photocatalyst. The photocatalytic activities of the synthesized composites were explored for the photodegradation of both cationic (Methylene Blue) and anionic (Reactive Red 195) dyes, achieving efficiencies of around 99 % and 96 %, respectively. Vibrating sample magnetometry showed the excellent regenerability of the magnetic composite after five cycles, demonstrating its potential for removing cationic and anionic dyes from aqueous solutions.