Polyvinylpyrrolidone and Brij-35 Stabilized IrO2 Nanoclusters As Highly Effective Catalyst In The Degradation Of Acid Orange 10: A Comparative Study

In this study, the degradation of azo-dye acid orange 10 (AO 10) has been investigated using Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and Polyoxyethylene Lauryl Ether (Brij-35) stabilized Iridium oxide (IrO2) nanoclusters as catalysts. A simple chemical reduction method was used to synthesize the above-mentioned nanoclusters. The characteristics of the nanocatalysts were determined by UV-visible spectrophotometer, TEM, and XRD. The kinetic study has been carried out at λmax of the reaction mixture i.e. 479 nm spectrophotometrically. The degradation follows first-order kinetics concerning oxidant and catalyst concentration while an order is one at lower substrate concentration tending towards zero at higher concentration. The degradation kinetics has been supported by the derived rate law. The results showed that PVP-stabilized IrO2 nanoclusters outperformed Brij-35 stabilized IrO2 nanoclusters, exhibiting the fastest degradation rate. The progress of the degradation process was monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy. Using PVP-stabilized IrO2 nanoclusters as a catalyst is a very promising approach for the remediation of acid orange 10 due to the fast degradation rate and high degradation efficiency. In addition, PVP-stabilized IrO2 nanoclusters can be easily recovered and recycled for three consecutive cycles. It can be inferred from this study that catalytic oxidation methods are active and environment-friendly for the remediation of dyes.