Catalytic activity of pseudoboehmites impregnated with different cobalt contents in the oxidative degradation of tartrazine in the presence of Oxone

Pseudoboehmite was impregnated with cobalt using a incipient wetness impregnation method. Two different concentrations of cobalt were used for impregnation: 3 mas% and 6 mas% of Co2+ relative to the mass of pseudoboehmite. The obtained materials were calcined at 500 ºC. The synthesized catalysts were tested in the process of oxidative degradation of tartrazine dye in the presence of Oxon as a source of sulfate anion radicals. The influence of temperature on the dye degradation efficiency was investigated. It was observed that the degradation rate increases with the increasing of temperature. The experimentally obtained results were tested using the most common kinetic models and it was found that the reaction follows a pseudo-first order rate in all cases. It was also observed that with an increase in the cobalt content, the efficiency of the catalyst increases. In order to determine which reactive oxidative species is dominant in the investigated process, tertiary buthalnol and ethanol was added to the reaction system. According to the experimental results sulfate anion radicals were found to be the dominant reactive species.