Achieving 99.6% methylene blue degradation with IoT-based real-time monitoring using AC/HAp photocatalysts

Activated carbon (AC) and hydroxyapatite (HAp) have been widely used for methylene blue (MB) degradation through photocatalysis. However, its application has not been applied to the environment because the method used is still with the help of lab equipment, and there is no continuous monitoring of the process. In this study, we collaborate on the photocatalysis process using AC from different sources, candlenut shell (AC1), coconut shell (AC2), and composited with hydroxyapatite from crab shells (AC1/HAp, AC2/HAp) with IoT-based real-time monitoring as a new system that not only degrades MB but also monitors the effect of pH, temperature, absorbance, and hydrogen production during the degradation process. This monitoring will be more effective than traditional monitoring, which can only see the condition of the sample within a certain period and cannot be monitored during the photocatalysis process. Based on the analysis of data obtained from the system that has been created, it was found that AC1 is a promising material in MB degradation with a degradation of 99.6% ± 0.03 at pH 4.28 ± 0.05, temperature 27.97 ± 1.05 °C, and hydrogen production of 4474 ± 59.77 µmol/g as a consequence of the consistency of crystallite size and larger pore size. A high degradation result of 99.6% shows that AC from candlenut shells has promising potential in removing MB dyes from water. The large amount of data monitored (up to 700 data per day) also shows that IoT can be a new methodology for better understanding the events during the photocatalysis process.