Efficient photodecomposition of rhodamine B by an Fe-based metallic glass in an oxalic acid solution

Abstract

Fe-based metallic glass (amorphous Fe–Si–B ribbons) was successfully fabricated and shown to be an efficient catalyst of the photo-decomposition of rhodamine B (RhB). The effects of various factors on the photodecomposition were investigated. The catalyst dosage and the wavelength and intensity of the light source were all found to strongly influence the reaction rate. A nearly complete degradation of RhB (20 mg L⁻¹) was achieved within 15 min by 50 mg L⁻¹ Fe–Si–B catalyst and 1 mM oxalic acid when illuminated with 125 W UV light. The Fe–Si–B catalyst was also found to exhibit good structural stability and no loss of performance for three cycles. Based on the results of these experiments, we conclude that the amorphous Fe–Si–B ribbons and oxalic acid constitute a promising heterogeneous Fenton-like system for industrial wastewater treatment.