Conversion of Natural Clinoptilolite Microparticles to Nanorods by Glow Discharge Plasma: A Novel Fe-Impregnated Nanocatalyst for the Heterogeneous Fenton Process

In the present study, the properties of natural clinoptilolite were successfully modified by a glow discharge plasma technique. A thorough characterization was performed to clarify the morphology, chemical composition, and porosity of untreated and plasma-treated clinoptilolites. The scanning electron microscopy images of untreated and plasma-treated clinoptilolites demonstrated that the morphology of clinoptilolite was changed from microparticle to nanorod after plasma treatment. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller results showed that the plasma treatment has enhanced the specific surface area of clinoptilolite up to 2-fold (treated clinoptilolite 45.16 m(2)/g compared to the untreated one 23.92 m(2)/g). The catalytic performance of untreated and plasma-treated Fe-impregnated clinoptilolites was compared in the heterogeneous Fenton process for the decolorization of a textile dye solution. Results indicated that the decolorization efficiency was significantly increased from 36.93%, in the presence of untreated catalyst, to 97.66% with the use of the plasma-treated catalyst after 35 min of reaction.