Cu or Fe-Exchanged Natural Clinoptilolite as Sustainable Light-Assisted Catalyst for Water Disinfection at Near Neutral pH.

ABSTRACT: Natural zeolites can be used to obtain effective catalysts for heterogeneous photocatalytic reactions due to their low cost and favorable physicochemical properties for water treatment. In this work, a natural clinoptilolite is modified by incorporating iron (NZ-Fe) and copper (NZ-Cu) as compensation cations through ion exchange processes. Metals incorporation and structural stability are demonstrated through X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. DR-UV-Vis measurements are used to estimate the bandgap and predict the photocatalytic performance of both materials. Their effectiviness in heterogeneous photocatalytic systems is confirmed by evaluating the inactivation of E. coli as a model pathogen in water. The bacterial detection limit

SUBMITTER: Prieto-Laria P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12605726 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature