Synthesis WO3-Bleaching Earth using Lerak fruit as surfactant and the application for Photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue

Abstract

Degradation of methylene blue using pillared WO₃ onto bleaching earth (BE) has been conducted. Pillarization with WO₃ using klerak fruit (rarasaponin) as surfactant. Structural and morphological characterization has been carried out by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning electron microscopy coupled to the energy dispersive spectoscpopy (SEM_EDX). From the X-ray diffraction results show the mineral on bleaching earth is rectorite with dioctahedral mica layer and dioctahedral smectite with ratio 2:1 and after calcinations the pattern WO₃ was appearance. After calcination at 500°C shows the WO₃ was deposited homogeneously on the BE surface. The catalytic performance of WO₃-BC for photodegradation of methylene blue under visible light was 96.85 % within 15 minutes.

Keywords: photocatalytic, bleaching earth, WO₃, methylene blue, lerak fruit