CoFe2O4 synthesis on MgAl2O4 and ZSM-5 supports for use in pollutant degradation by heterogeneous photo-Fenton process under visible and solar irradiation

In this work, cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) was synthesized on magnesium aluminate (MgAl2O4) and ZSM-5 zeolite and the catalytic activity of these materials in the photo-Fenton reaction for the decomposition of an organic pollutant in aqueous solution was evaluated. Cobalt ferrite was synthesized on the supports by the solvothermal route. The magnetic materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, adsorption/desorption isotherms of nitrogen, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray dispersive energy spectroscopy. The catalysts were evaluated for the degradation of amaranth dye under artificial visible and solar irradiations. The produced materials CoFe2O4 /MgAl2O4 and CoFe2O4/ZSM-5 presented satisfactory catalytic activities, being superior compared to pure cobalt ferrite. Both the systems showed higher catalytic activity when solar irradiation was used, reaching 95% of decoloration and 80% of mineralization at 30 and 240 min of reaction, respectively. Therefore, MgAl2O4 and ZSM-5 as supports for the cobalt ferrite are promising materials aiming the degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous solutions through the heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction.