Low-cost bauxite residue-MoS2 possessing adsorption and photocatalysis ability for removing organic pollutants in wastewater

Abstract Effective wastewater cleaning methods are required to reduce environmental pollution and harmful human health effects. Here, a bauxite residue/MoS2 (BR-MoS2) composite is prepared via a one-step hydrothermal method using industrial waste residue (i.e., BR). The hydrothermal reaction time was varied to tune MoS2 coverage content and optimize the capacity for light absorption and organic dye adsorption. Under the synergistic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis, the proposed low-cost BR-MoS2 composites effectively improved the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater. Furthermore, BR-MoS2 demonstrated an improved optical absorption and photo-induced electron transfer as compared with that of a bare CM photocatalyst. The optimized BR-MoS2-12 h (with a hydrothermal reaction time of 12 h) demonstrated high photocatalytic degradation efficiency for dyes under light irradiation and excellent recyclability. To summarize, the proposed catalyst advances the research of cost-effective and sustainable wastewater treatment methods.