Adsorption-Assisted Photocatalytic Degradation of Anionic Direct Yellow-50 and Cationic Methylene Blue Dyes by Chemically Synthesized Poly(1,5-diaminoanthraquinone)

Abstract Conducting polymers renowned for their exceptional photocatalytic activity, conductivity, and visible-light absorption capabilities present a compelling alternative for advanced photocatalytic applications. In this regard, the creation of conductive polymers of the next generation has enormous promise for improving energy efficiency as well as solving environmental issues. In this study, the conductive polymer poly(1,5-diaminoanthraquinone) (PDAAQ) with a band gap of 1.28 eV and an electrical conductivity of 1.23 S/cm was successfully synthesized via chemical oxidative polymerization using ammonium peroxydisulfate as an oxidant and perchloric acid as an initiator in an acetonitrile polymerization medium. The adsorption-assisted photocatalytic performance of PDAAQ has been investigated in cationic methylene blue (MB) and an anionic direct yellow (DY) dye under visible irradiation. The effect of polymerization medium, oxidant type, polymerization time, and monomer oxidant ratio on adsorption-assisted photocatalytic degradation of MB was investigated. The synthesized PDAAQ polymer demonstrates exceptional photocatalytic performance, completely degrading MB and DYE dyes under visible light illumination in 6 and 8 min through an adsorption-assisted photocatalysis mechanism. Besides, the photocatalytic dye degradation performance of PDAAQ was investigated for the degradation of synthetic wastewater (SWW) under visible light. The PDAAQ polymer proves to be an effective photocatalyst for photocatalytic applications, showcasing exceptional potential in degrading model dyes and treating synthetic wastewater.