Iron(III)-Alginate Fiber Complex as a Highly Effective and Stable Heterogeneous Fenton Photocatalyst for Mineralization of Organic Dye

Iron(III) alginate fiber complex was prepared through the coordination of alginate fiber with Fe(III) ions and characterized using Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectra, respectively. Effect of Fe(III) initial concentration and reaction temperature on the Fe content of the obtained complex was also investigated. It was then tested as a heterogeneous Fenton photocatalyst for dye degradation with H2O2. The results indicated that the carboxyl groups from alginate fiber successfully reacted with Fe(III) ions to form the complex. Higher Fe(III) ion concentration or elevation of temperature led to a proportional increase in the Fe content of the complex. Moreover, Fe(III) alginate fiber complex could effectively catalyze the dye mineralization in the dark or under light irradiation in a wide pH range of 3-9. Its catalytic activity was hardly affected by Na2SO4 or NaCl in wastewater. The stable catalytic performance was observed in its reuse processes.