The presence of pollutants in water sources, particularly dyes coming by way of the textile industry, represents a major challenge with far-reaching environmental consequences, including increased scarcity. This phenomenon endangers the health of living organisms and the natural system. Numerous biosorbents have been utilized for the removal of dyes from the textile industry. The aim of this study was to optimize discarded Zygophyllum gaetulum stems as constituting an untreated natural biosorbent for the efficient removal of C.I. Direct Black 80, an azo textile dye, from an aqueous solution, thus offering an ecological and low-cost alternative while recovering the waste for reuse. The biosorbent was subjected to a series of characterization analyses: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and infrared spectroscopy (IR) were employed to characterize the biosorbent. Additionally, the moisture and ash content of the plant stem were also examined. The absorption phenomenon was studied for several different parameters including the effect of the absorption time (0 to 360 min), the sorbent mass (3 to 40 g/L), the pH of the solution (3 to 11), the dye concentration (5 to 300 mg/L), and the pH of the zero-charge point (2–12). Thermodynamic studies and desorption studies were also carried out. The results showed that an increase in plant mass from 3 to 40 g/L resulted in a notable enhancement in dye adsorption rates, with an observed rise from 63.96% to 97.08%. The pH at the zero-charge point (pHpzc) was determined to be 7.12. The percentage of dye removal was found to be highest for pH values ≤ 7, with a subsequent decline in removal efficiency as the pH increased. Following an initial increase in the amount of adsorbed dye, equilibrium was reached within 2 h of contact. The kinetic parameters of adsorption were investigated using the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and Elovich models. The results indicated that the pseudo-first-order kinetic model was the most appropriate for the plant adsorbent. The isotherm parameters were determined using the Langmuir, Frendlich, Temkin, and Dubinin–Radushkevich models. The experimental data were more satisfactory and better fitted using the Langmuir model for the adsorption of dye on the plant. This study demonstrated that Zygophyllum gaetulum stems could be employed as an effective adsorbent for the removal of our organic dye from an aqueous solution.

The catalytic reduction of organic pollutants in water is a critical environmental challenge due to the persistent and hazardous nature of compounds like azo dyes and nitrophenols. In this study, we synthesized nanostructured CuO/TiO₂ catalysts via a combustion technique, followed by calcination at 700 °C to achieve a rutile-phase TiO₂ structure with varying copper loadings (5–40 wt.%). The catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis-differential thermal analysis (TGA–DTA), UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS). The XRD results confirmed the presence of the crystalline rutile phase in the CuO/TiO₂ catalysts, with additional peaks indicating successful copper oxide loading onto TiO₂. The FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of all the functional groups in the prepared samples. SEM images revealed irregularly shaped copper oxide and agglomerated TiO₂ particles. The DRS results revealed improved optical properties and a decreased bandgap with increased Cu content, and 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) and methyl orange (MO), which were chosen for their carcinogenic, mutagenic, and nonbiodegradable properties, were used as model organic pollutants. Catalytic activities were tested by reducing 4-NP and MO with sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) in the presence of a CuO/TiO₂ catalyst. Following the in situ reduction of CuO/TiO₂, Cu (NPs)/TiO₂ was formed, achieving 98% reduction of 4-NP in 480 s and 98% reduction of MO in 420 s. The effects of the NaBH₄ concentration and catalyst mass were investigated. The catalysts exhibited high stability over 10 reuse cycles, maintaining over 96% efficiency for MO and 94% efficiency for 4-NP. These findings demonstrate the potential of nanostructured CuO/TiO₂ catalysts for environmental remediation through efficient catalytic reduction of organic pollutants.

By combining measurements of photocatalysis under solar irradiation with measurements of total organic carbon, we have compared the performance of two TiO₂-based photocatalysts in the photodegradation of the dye Reactive Blue 49 (RB49). TiO₂-P25 and TiO₂-UV100 commercial photocatalysts were tested within a concentration ranging from 0.5 to 4 g/L. The dye solution concentration was varied from 10 to 50 mg/L and its pH was increased from 3 to 9. Extensive characterization of the photocatalysts was performed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. TiO₂-UV100 proved to be more active in adsorbing RB49 dye than TiO₂-P25. At low dye concentrations, the adsorption equilibrium is reached in 15 min. This time increases to 1 h at higher concentrations. The photocatalytic degradation of aqueous RB49 under sunlight was monitored by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The apparent rate constant of dye photodegradation with TiO₂-UV100 is twice that of TiO₂-P25. The total organic carbon (TOC) analysis showed a removal of around 98% with TiO₂-UV100 and only 85% with TiO₂-P25 after 3 h of solar irradiation. Over five photocatalytic cycles of 3 h, TiO₂-UV100 maintained a more stable and higher efficient photocatalytic performance. All our results converge toward a better photocatalytic performance of TiO₂-UV100 for the photodegradation of RB49 dye and indicate that the most decisive factor is its greater capacity to adsorb the pollutant.

MAX 250 words This study evaluates the efficiency of anodic oxidation processes for the degradation of the azo dye Reactive Blue 203 (RB203) using a gold electrode in an compartmented electrochemical cell. Unlike most studies that rely on conventional electrodes such as BDD or graphite, this work explores the use of a porous gold electrode—an uncommon yet promising material in dye degradation—highlighting its high electrocatalytic activity and exceptional chemical stability. Experiments explored the effects of current density, initial pH and type of supporting electrolyte. The gold electrode performed remarkably well, achieving a 91.82% decolorization rate and 96% Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal after 360 minutes of treatment. Best performance was observed under acidic conditions (pH = 3), where the formation of hydroxyl radicals (●OH) is favored. The use of KCl as a supporting electrolyte improved degradation compared to Na₂SO₄, thanks to better ionic conductivity and the generation of reactive species such as Cl₂ and HOCl. Kinetic analysis revealed that the reaction follows a pseudo-first-order model, with rate constants increasing from 0.00261 min-¹ to 0.0141 min-¹ as the current density increases from 100 to 400 mA.cm-². These results confirm that anodic oxidation, with the gold electrode, is an effective and sustainable method for treating textile wastewater