Green synthesis of graphene oxide–TiO2/Fe2O3/ZnO nanocomposites for photocatalytic degradation of petroleum refinery wastewater
6 affiliations
- 1Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Peshawar
- 2Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Malaya
- 3Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
- 4Institute of Natural Sciences and Geography, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University
- 5Department of Ecology and Life Safety, Sh.Yessenov Caspian University of Technology and Engineering
- 6Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, International Islamic University
Abstract
This study investigated the photocatalytic degradation of hydrocarbon pollutants in petroleum refinery wastewater (PRWW) using graphene oxide (GO)-based metal oxide composites as photocatalysts. GO was synthesized from waste plant biomass using modified Hummer’s method. Composites of various metal oxides and GO were prepared by loading different weight percentages of TiO2, Fe2O3, and ZnO through the wet impregnation method. The composition and morphology of the photocatalysts were evaluated by FTIR, XRD, SEM, TGA, and EDX analysis. Batch mode catalytic oxidation experiments were conducted on PRWW with an initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 986 mg/L, at pH 8.5, temperature 25–30 °C, reaction time 50 min, and catalyst dose of 0.02 g per 20 mL of sample. It was observed that maximum COD removals of 96% and 100% were achieved by photocatalysts ZG11 (ZnO/GO 1:1) and TZG111 (TiO2/ZnO/GO 1:1:1), respectively. GC–MS analysis showed that hydrocarbon compounds were absent in the treated PRWW sample; only traces of oxygenated hydrocarbons were found. This method can be applied to large-scale industrial wastewater treatment. This study offers an effective approach to improve the removal rate of high COD from PRWW and makes a practical contribution to wastewater treatment technology.
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BibTeX
@article{ahmad2026green,
title = {{Green synthesis of graphene oxide–TiO2/Fe2O3/ZnO nanocomposites for photocatalytic degradation of petroleum refinery wastewater}},
author = {Waqas Ahmad and Mudassar Khan and Badrul Mohamed Jan and Rabia Ikram and Dzhumadil Childebaev and Farida Nurbayeva and Islamud Din and Muhammad Ilyas},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-61380-2},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61380-2},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Green synthesis of graphene oxide–TiO2/Fe2O3/ZnO nanocomposites for photocatalytic degradation of petroleum refinery wastewater
AU - Waqas Ahmad
AU - Mudassar Khan
AU - Badrul Mohamed Jan
AU - Rabia Ikram
AU - Dzhumadil Childebaev
AU - Farida Nurbayeva
AU - Islamud Din
AU - Muhammad Ilyas
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-61380-2
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61380-2
AB - This study investigated the photocatalytic degradation of hydrocarbon pollutants in petroleum refinery wastewater (PRWW) using graphene oxide (GO)-based metal oxide composites as photocatalysts. GO was synthesized from waste plant biomass using modified Hummer’s method. Composites of various metal oxides and GO were prepared by loading different weight percentages of TiO2, Fe2O3, and ZnO through the wet impregnation method. The composition and morphology of the photocatalysts were evaluated by FTIR, XRD, SEM, TGA, and EDX analysis. Batch mode catalytic oxidation experiments were conducted on PRWW with an initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 986 mg/L, at pH 8.5, temperature 25–30 °C, reaction time 50 min, and catalyst dose of 0.02 g per 20 mL of sample. It was observed that maximum COD removals of 96% and 100% were achieved by photocatalysts ZG11 (ZnO/GO 1:1) and TZG111 (TiO2/ZnO/GO 1:1:1), respectively. GC–MS analysis showed that hydrocarbon compounds were absent in the treated PRWW sample; only traces of oxygenated hydrocarbons were found. This method can be applied to large-scale industrial wastewater treatment. This study offers an effective approach to improve the removal rate of high COD from PRWW and makes a practical contribution to wastewater treatment technology.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -