Efficient Rice-Husk-Derived Silica Nanocatalysts for Organic Dye Removal from Water

Rice is the second most extensively consumed food ingredient, and its by-products in the paddy field include rice husk and straw. Rice husk ash, resulting from rice husk burning, is considered an environment menace, inducing negative effects on the area in which it is disposed of. In this study, rice husk was applied as a silicate source to obtain mesoporous silica material. Characterization techniques confirmed the well-ordered mesophase and resemblance of mesoporous silica resulting from rice husk ash with one obtained from conventional silica sources. The mesoporous silica material was further used as catalyst support. The resulting catalysts were used for rhodamine 110 oxidation, proving high potential for oxidizing hazardous organic compounds, such as dyes from water, resulting in environmentally harmless products