rGO/MUT-15 nanocomposite as a Fenton-like photocatalyst for the degradation of Acid Yellow 73 under visible light

Abstract

The Fenton-like reaction is an advanced oxidation process (AOP) used to effectively eliminate organic pollutants. Fenton-like materials include metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) containing Fe, Co, Mn, and Cu metal ions. MOF-based photocatalysts with the highest performance can be designed and synthesized using these metal ions. A new Mn-based metal–organic framework with the formula of [Mn₂(DClTPA)₂(DMF)₃] (MUT-15) containing 2,5-dichloroterephthalic acid (DClTPA) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was prepared via a solvothermal method. According to single-crystal X-ray analysis, MUT-15 (MUT = Materials from University of Tehran) has a tetragonal crystal system with the I4₁/a space group. A simple one-pot solvothermal method was used to prepare a rGO/MUT-15 nanocomposite. PXRD, FT-IR, TGA, FE-SEM, TEM, EDX, DRS, PL, EIS, and Mott–Schottky measurements were used to characterize the MUT-15 and rGO/MUT-15 nanocomposite. Under visible-light irradiation, MUT-15 and rGO/MUT-15 as Fenton-like photocatalysts degraded Acid Yellow 73 in only 10 min with outstanding photocatalytic activity rates of 92.39% and 96.10%, respectively. Thus, the Mn(II)–O clusters in MUT-15 significantly contributed to the degradation of Acid Yellow 73 through their Fenton-like effect.