Methylene blue concentration and pH-induced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue without photocatalyst under visible light

Abstract

Among the wastewater treatments, the advanced oxidation process (AOP) is one of the most popular techniques, due to its advantages in comparison with the other conventional physical and chemical processes. It is well known that photocatalysis is the most well-organized and appealing method for the degradation of organic toxins utilizing nano-sized semiconducting matter in the existence of solar radiation. There are many operational parameters that highly impact the photocatalytic activity of photocatalysis. Therefore, in this study, the influences of the operational parameters like pH and concentration of methylene blue (MB) on the photodegradation of the MB were investigated. It was observed that variation in the pH values of the dye solution led to an important change in the photocatalytic efficiency of the MB, especially at pH value 11. On the other hand, it is found that with decreased MB concentration the degradation time was reduced. These outcomes are very important for removing organic dyes with relatively inexpensive routes.