Title : BaMoO4 nanocatalyst for oxidation of methylene blue: Preparation characterizations and process modeling using the response surface methodology
Abstract:
A nanocatalyst based on barium molybdate (BaMoO?), crystallizing in a tetragonally distorted scheelite-type (β) phase, was successfully synthesized through the thermal decomposition of a pre-formed oxalate complex. This precursor was first characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), confirming its structure and thermal behavior. The decomposition was carried out under controlled heating at 700?°C. The resulting BaMoO? material was thoroughly characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy (RS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX).
The catalytic activity of the synthesized nanocatalyst was investigated using the oxidative degradation of methylene blue (MB) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as a model reaction. Key process variables, including the initial pH of the MB solution (ranging from 4.5 to 11) and the contact time (30 to 300 minutes), were optimized through a Central Composite Design (CCD) based on Response Surface Methodology (RSM), aiming to reduce operational costs and reaction duration.
