Efficient degradation of organic pollutants using MnCuFe-LDH as a photo-fenton catalyst

• MnCuFe-LDH synthesis via co-precipitation enhancing active sites exposure. • Synergetic effect of transition metals presents in MnCuFe-LDH as catalyst. • Efficient pollutant removal by photoFenton/MnCuFe-LDH of dyes and pharmaceuticals. • MnCuFe-LDH demonstrated high stability maintaining consistent pollutant removal. A novel heterogeneous photocatalyst, MnCuFe- Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH), was successfully accomplished by co-precipitation method. Structural and morphological properties were ascertained and an amorphous structure enhancing active site exposure, and significantly boosting its intrinsic catalytic activity, was observed. MnCuFe-LDH effectiveness was assessed in the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and Antipyrine (ANT) solutions, by a heterogeneous photo-Fenton process. This approach is designed to address key environmental challenges by providing a highly effective method for pollutant degradation. This aspect is particularly crucial when considering the necessity of avoiding false positives in environmental remediation efforts. The results demonstrated that MnCuFe-LDH exhibits remarkable degradation efficiency (RhB 97.23 % and ANT 72.76 % within only 1 h), under acidic conditions and UV-A radiation. The MnCuFe-LDH stability and reusability were confirmed through consistent performance in degrading RhB across five consecutive cycles. Additionally, the identification of degradation products generated during pollutant breakdown facilitated the understanding of pollutant degradation pathways.