Homogeneous Photocatalytic Degradation of Reactive Orange M2R Dye in Aqueous Medium

The chemical degradation of reactive orange M2R dye under irradiation of UV light by Fenton’s reagent has been investigated spectrophotometrically in aqueous medium. Hydroxyl free radicals are the most reactive chemical species for the degradation process. The influence of pH and initial concentrations of the dye, Fe2+ and H2O2 on the degradation rate has been investigated and the optimum operational conditions were determined. The photobleaching process follows first-order kinetics. Acidic pH range favours the degradation rate. The results of the study showed that photo-Fenton process is an effective and an economic treatment process for the complete mineralization of the reactive orange M2R dye. A suitable tentative mechanism for the degradation of the dye by photo-Fenton system has been proposed.