Multivalent iron-based magnetic porous biochar from peach gum polysaccharide as a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for degradation of dye pollutants

Water contamination caused by organic dyes has become a significant concern, and catalytic degradation of dye pollutants is an effective solution. However, developing an affordable, easy-to-prepare, high-catalytic-activity, and renewable catalyst has proved challenging. The current study addresses this issue by introducing an efficient heterogeneous Fenton catalyst, known as multivalent iron-based magnetic porous biochar (mFe-MPB). This catalyst comprises multiple iron species, such as Fe3O4, γ-Fe2O3, zero-valent Fe (Fe0), and Fe3C. The mFe-MPB was easily prepared by utilizing a straightforward crosslinking-pyrolysis strategy with natural peach gum polysaccharide (PGP), which has a unique structure and composition that facilitates the creation of multivalent iron species. The mFe-MPB demonstrates high catalytic activity in the degradation of an array of dyes, including cationic dyes such as methylene blue (MB) and methyl violet (MV), as well as anionic new coccine (NC) dye. Its mass standardized rate constant value for catalytic degradation of MB can reach as high as 1.65 L min−1 g−1. Additionally, the catalyst can be easily recovered through magnetic separation and possesses remarkable structural stability, enabling several reuses without compromising its efficiency. Therefore, this study offers a viable strategy to fabricate low-cost, efficient and sustainable Fenton catalyst for removal of dye pollutants from water.