Degradation of organic compounds in a fenton system based on chitosan/Fe-0/Fe2O3 composites: a theoretical and experimental study

Abstract

Chitosan is a polymer with interesting characteristics for use in catalysis, such as biocompatibility, high chemical reactivity and stability under various conditions. Seeking new applications, a new hybrid material was synthesized for use in the degradation of organic compound. A synthesis route proposed led to the formation of a material in the form of film. The characterization data indicated the presence of hematite, as well as metallic iron. In addition, a theoretical model for interaction of iron with chitosan was proposed. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that non-Coulomb interactions modulate the adsorption process between reactive red dye and chitosan. The catalytic behavior of these hybrid materials was investigated for the H2O2 decomposition to O-2 and the degradation of reactive red dye. The hybrid material showed high degradation capacity, confirming this material as an efficient heterogeneous Fenton catalysts.