The hematite, α-Fe2O3, nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully prepared by hydrothermal method using FeCl3.6H2O as a starting material. The NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), far-infrared spectroscopy (Far-IR), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The particles were shown to be nanoscale with the particle size about 30 nm. The ability of hematite nanoparticles to degrade Reactive Black 5 (RB5), an azo dye, in aqueous solutions via the photocatalytic process by a visible light source was investigated. The factors that influence the dye removal efficiency, such as initial pH value, temperature, hydrogen peroxide concentration, and RB5 concentration were examined. Finally, the kinetics of degradation of RB5 dye pollutant was investigated using fabricated NPs.

Keywords