Zeolite incorporated iron oxide nanoparticle composites for enhanced congo red dye removal

Rational design of efficient material for dye removal is one of the most potential techniques to waste water management. Herein, the synergistic effect of the zeolite and iron oxide composites synthesized by adding 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 g of zeolite during the nucleation of magnetite were explored. The crystal structures analyzed by XRD were compared with the local structure obtained from Mössbauer spectroscopy. The coexistence of goethite (α-FeOOH) in the prepared composites were observed from XRD and Mössbauer spectroscopy at higher content of zeolite (i.e. 0.2 and 0.3 g). The mechanism on the nucleation of α-FeOOH and its potential contribution in the removal of congo red dye is also highlighted. The removal percentage of the congo red dye is found to be as high as ~ 99%. The mechanism of the dye removal is also discussed. Moreover, the composites with zeolite have higher efficiency in the dye removal when the reusability test were performed. Graphical abstract