Novel Synthesis of Polystyrenesulfonate@AC Based on Olive Tree Leaves Biomass for the Photo-Degradation of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution

Water pollution poses significant environmental challenges, particularly from dyes used in various industrial processes. Effective removal methods are essential to mitigate their impact on aquatic environments. Activated carbon (AC) is widely used for its adsorption properties, and further modifications can enhance its efficiency. In this study, we developed polystyrene sulfonate-modified activated carbon (AC@PSS) using a facile and efficient method to improve the photo-degradation of methylene blue (MB) in aquatic environments. The modification enhanced the activated carbon's surface features and adsorption, improving its photocatalytic activity. The photocatalysts were characterized using XRD, SEM, FTIR, and TGA. Based on Tauc's equation, the band gap value of AC@PSS was 4.0 eV. The photocatalytic efficacy of the AC@PSS catalyst was assessed by studying the degradation of MB dye under UV-rich solar irradiation. The influence of various variables on the photo-degradation of MB dye such as pH (2-12), reaction time (0-160 min), catalyst dosage (20-80 mg), and dye concentration (10-300 mg/L) was investigated. The AC@PSS catalyst demonstrated impressive degradation efficacy for MB dye of 98% in 160 min at pH 11, a temperature of 25 °C, a catalyst dose of 60 mg, and initial MB content of 10 mg/L. The superior performance of the AC@PSS catalyst could be due to the effective separation of photogenerated electron holes. Accordingly, the photo-degradation of MB is affected by the photo-produced radical ^•OH. Finally, we conclude that synthesizing AC@PSS is highly effective for the degradation of MB dye.