Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue and Methyl Orange with Fe-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles Modified with Natural Zeolite and Montmorillonite: Comparative Study

Abstract

The present study compares the photocatalytic decolorization ability of Fe-doped ZnO modified both natural zeolite and montmorillonite towards aqueous solution of organic dyes such as methylene blue and methyl orange under UV light irradiation. Both photocatalysts were synthesized using co-precipitation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray, Fourier-transform infrared absorption, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The results showed that the photocatalytic efficiency is better in the presence of montmorillonite compared to natural zeolite.