Innovatively-synthesized α-Fe2O3/Ti3C2Tx MXene nanocomposite by dry-impregnation method: Photocatalyst characterization and influence of operational parameters on highly efficient tetracycline degradation

Herein, a facile and cost-effective dry-impregnation method was employed to impregnate α-Fe2O3 onto Ti3C2Tx MXene (Ti3C2). The synthesized α-Fe2O3/Ti3C2Tx MXene (FeTM) photocatalyst with a narrow band gap (2.1 eV) was characterized using XRD, EDS, SEM, UV–Vis, TEM, and BET techniques. The photocatalyst was applied for the optimization degradation condition of tetracycline (TC) under visible light irradiation by measuring the absorbance at a wavelength of 357 nm via Response Surface Methodology (RSM)-Central Composite Design (CCD) method. Maximum degradation rate of pollutant (99.13 %) was achieved under optimized condition (Catalyst dosage: 0.606 g/L, tetracycline concentration: 21.67 mg/L, irradiation time: 93 min, and pH: 3.4). The correlation coefficients, F-value, and p-value are determined to be 99.35, 163.35, and < 0.0001, respectively, confirming the validity of the proposed model. Moreover, the reusability test demonstrates the favorable nanocomposite's stability in the degradation of tetracycline from wastewater. After four cycles, a degradation efficiency of up to 81.4 % is maintained. The photodegradation kinetics was investigated and the result showed R2 = 0.9887 and K value equal to 0.0183 min−1, which represents a reaction with a quick kinetic. The α-Fe2O3/Ti3C2Tx MXene nanocomposite demonstrates remarkable degradation efficiency and high stability, positioning it as a highly promising candidate for wastewater treatment process.