Synthesis and characterization of boehmite/metal - Organic framework of type AlO(OH)/MOF-74(Zn) for photocatalytic degradation of Congo red dye

In the present work, boehmite metal-organic framework nanocomposite, AlO(OH)/MOF-74(Zn), was synthesized by a simple, fast, and low-cost process. The post-synthetic method was used for preparing new hybrid material. The photocatalytic efficiency of AlO(OH)/MOF-74(Zn) was investigated by photocatalytic degradation of Congo Red anionic dye. The nanocomposite was characterized by various techniques. The electron microscopy images showed that the spherical MOF-74 with about 30 nm was located over boehmite. The optical properties indicated the boehmite/MOF-74 can be used as a visible-light-driven photocatalyst. Optimization of significant variables such as adsorbent dosage and initial Congo Red concentration and photodegradation time affecting removal was investigated and the optimized values were found to be 1 g/L, 10 mg/L, and 60 min, respectively. The AlO(OH)/MOF-74(Zn) photocatalyst exhibited the highest catalytic performance for photodegradation of dye contaminants. Results indicated about 94% of tested dye were removed by a new hybrid photocatalyst under visible light irradiation. The results confirmed that due to some considerable features of AlO(OH)/MOF-74(Zn) such as high surface area and chemical and thermal resistance, the introduced photocatalyst acts as a high-performance photocatalyst for degradation of Congo Red dye in aqueous solutions.