Synergistic dye removal through curcumin functionalized MCM-22 zeolite as a photocatalyst nanocomposite via the simultaneous photocatalysis and adsorption method

This paper investigates the efficiency of simultaneous adsorption/photocatalyst system for dye removal. A novel composite material consisting of curcumin functionalized MCM-22 zeolite, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and cerium nanoparticles was utilized. TiO₂ nanoparticles were layered by reacting zeolite with a titanium butoxide solution, followed by cerium incorporation using cerium nitrate. FESEM, TEM, BET, FT-IR, XRD, DRS, PL, Zeta potential, and TGA analyses were performed. The performance of the composite material was evaluated in a slurry photocatalyst reactor under visible light. Operating parameters, including cerium concentration, photocatalyst loading, initial contaminant concentration, and pH were varied to determine the reaction rate and total contaminant removal. The performance of the simultaneous adsorption and photocatalytic reaction for methylene blue dye removal was evaluated and compared with individual processes. The composite material’s reusability was tested over five cycles. Dye removal efficiencies of 11%, 32%, and 96% were achieved for the photocatalytic process, adsorption process, and the simultaneous adsorption/photocatalyst system, respectively. The novel MCM-Cur/TiO2/Ce composite demonstrates high photocatalytic efficiency, stability, and reusability, making it a promising and sustainable solution for wastewater treatment.