Article

Synthesis, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Performance of Ag2CO3/MMT Nanocomposites for the Degradation of Methylene Blue and Methyl Orange Dyes

Faiz MahmoodSharda UniversityDibakar RoyDepartment of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USAKarthikeyan JayabalanDepartment of Chemistry, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai 600119, Tamil Nadu, IndiaK. K. ThakurDepartment of Chemistry, University Institute of Sciences, Chandigarh University, Mohali 140413, Punjab, IndiaMamta BishtDepartment of Chemistry, Uttaranchal Institute of Technology, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, Uttarakhand, IndiaG. PadmaPriyaDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Sciences, JAIN (Deemed to be University), Bangalore 560078, Karnataka, IndiaKhalaf F. AlsharifDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi ArabiaFuad M. AlzahraniDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi ArabiaKhalid J. AlzahraniDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi ArabiaAbdusamiyeva NargizaDepartment of Medicine, Termez University of Economics and Service, Termez 190111, UzbekistanDushamov Dilshod AzadovichDepartment of Chemistry, Urgench State University, Urgench 220100, UzbekistanAyesha SanamDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National University of Medical Sciences, Rawalpindi 46000, PakistanMuhammad Zulfiqah SadikanFaculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak, Ipoh 30450, Malaysia

2026en

ABI

Abstract

Industrial wastewater containing synthetic dyes is difficult to treat because many dyes are chemically stable, highly colored, and resistant to natural degradation. In this study, a Ag2CO3/montmorillonite (Ag2CO3/MMT) composite photocatalyst was synthesized by an in situ precipitation method using acid-activated MMT as a low-cost clay support. The prepared material was characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, BET, and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to evaluate its structural, morphological, textural, and optical properties. XRD and FTIR confirmed the formation of crystalline Ag2CO3 on the MMT support, while SEM analysis showed dispersed Ag2CO3 surface particles/deposits on the clay sheets. BET analysis indicated that the composite retained mesoporosity after Ag2CO3 deposition, which is beneficial for dye adsorption and diffusion. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated using methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) under visible-light irradiation. The Ag2CO3/MMT composite showed efficient dye decolorization, with faster degradation of cationic MB than anionic MO, mainly due to stronger electrostatic interaction between MB and the negatively charged catalyst surface. Kinetic analysis followed a pseudo-first-order model, with apparent rate constants of 0.036 min−1 for MB and 0.021 min−1 for MO. Operational parameters, including solution pH, irradiation time, and catalyst dosage, strongly influenced photocatalytic efficiency. Reactive species trapping experiments indicated that superoxide radicals (•O2−) and photogenerated holes (h+) were the dominant oxidative species. The catalyst retained more than 91% activity after four cycles, indicating good recyclability under the tested conditions. These results suggest that Ag2CO3/MMT is a promising visible-light-responsive photocatalyst for dye-contaminated wastewater treatment.

Identifiers

DOI: 10.3390/catal16070635

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