Facile synthesis of paper mill sludge-derived heterogeneous catalyst for the Fenton-like degradation of methylene blue

•Paper mill sludge-derived catalyst is used for heterogeneous Fenton reaction.•The catalyst exhibits effective methylene blue (MB) Fenton-like degradation.•Chemical bonds ensured the stability of the catalysts.•The research provided an alternative reuse method for paper mill sludge.

Paper mill sludge-derived heterogeneous catalyst was synthesized through a facile method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the existence of α-Fe2O3, and Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy proved the formation of chemical bonds (Fe–O–Si). The as-prepared catalyst exhibited effective methylene blue (MB) degradation and exhibited an excellent stability of catalytic activity. This study provides an alternative environmentally friendly reuse method for paper mill sludge and a low cost and effective heterogeneous catalyst.

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