Investigation of the removal of furfural from aqueous media using an ultrasonically amplified Fe-Cu@GA-AC photocatalyst

• Fe-Cu@GA-AC magnetic sonophotocatalyst Synthesis with stable and uniform morphology. • 94.4% furfural removal by persulfate and UVC irradiation under optimized conditions. • A pseudo -first-order kinetic model with R 2 above 0.974 supported process performance. • Catalyst stability and reusability with negligible metal leaching in four cycles. This study synthesized and assessed a new magnetic sono-photocatalyst, Fe-Cu@GA-AC, for the elimination of the persistent pollutant furfural from aquatic habitats, tackling the environmental issues associated with this compound in wastewater from the oil and petrochemical sectors. The Fe-Cu@GA-AC nanocatalyst was synthesized through co-precipitation and characterized using advanced analytical techniques, including XRD, FTIR, EDS-mapping, FESEM, DRS, and VSM, which validated its stable crystalline structure, uniform particle distribution of 40–60 nm, and magnetic separation ability. The efficacy of this catalyst was examined under various conditions, including pH, initial furfural concentration, catalyst dose, and persulfate concentration, using ultrasonic waves and UVC light irradiation. Under the optimum parameters, including a dose of 0.4 g/L, 0.5 mM persulfate, 10 mg/L furfural, a contact duration of 70 minutes, and a pH of 7, the nanocatalyst exhibited a removal efficiency of approximately 94.4% and a mineralization rate of about 93.5%. Kinetic study using a pseudo -first-order model validated the consistency of performance and process flexibility. The magnetic characteristics and chemical stability of Fe-Cu@GA-AC facilitated several cycles of reuse and exhibited little metal leaching. This study validated the efficacy and longevity of the sono-photocatalyst in furfural elimination, while also underscoring its applicability in industrial wastewater treatment and the advancement of sustainable advanced oxidation process technologies, thereby establishing a research trajectory for use in intricate water and wastewater matrices.