*Corresponding author: Kazem Mahanpoor Tel: +98 (86) 33412608, Fax: +98 (86) 33412608 Eurasian Chem. Commun., (2020) 59-77 E-mail: k-mahanpoor@iau-arak.ac.ir Page | 59 http://echemcom.com ECC Eurasian Chemical Communications Synthesis and characterization of nano α-Fe2O3/Mn2P2O7 for photocatalytic decomposition of p-xylene using Box-Behnken design Sajjad Mafi, Kazem Mahanpoor* a Department of Chemistry, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran Received: 13 October 2019, Accepted: 02 November 2019, Published: 23 November 2019 Abstract α-Fe2O3/Mn2P2O7 photocatalyst was synthesized by forced hydrolysis and reflux condensation (FHRC) method. In order to fully evaluate the structure, chemical composition and morphology of synthesized composite, various analyses such as XRD, FT-IR, BET, EDX, SEM were applied. In this research, para-xylene was selected as the model substance for photocatalytic reactions to evaluate catalytic ability. To investigate the effect of parameters and select the optimum condition for the understudied process, Box Behnken Design (BBD) due to the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was performed. For this purpose, catalyst concentration, hydrogen peroxide concentration, initial p-Xylene concentration and, pH were selected as important and effective variables. Results showed that the optimized degradation efficiency was close to 96.68% within 90 min. Based on the results, it was found that the initial concentration of p-Xylene had the greatest effect on the removal of contamination. Moreover, it was determined that the photocatalytic efficiency of the synthesized composite is more favorable than the non-supported α- Fe2O3. Keywords: Photocatalyst; FHRC; Mn2P2O7; p-Xylene; Box Behnken design. Introduction Increasing the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has become one of the environmental challenges of today. These compounds have harmful effects, such as damage to the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect [1]. VOCs usually emit from different sources such as printing and coating facilities, foundries, chemical industries, electronics, and paint manufacturing. Xylene is an example of this type of compound. It is a clear, colorless and hydrophobic liquid that has a characteristic smell [2]. This compound is usually applied as a solvent in printing, rubber, synthetic fiber, plastic, insecticide, pesticides and leather industries, and as a cleaner and a paint thinner [3]. Xylene is toxic to the liver, kidneys and the central nervous system when it comes into contact with skin or breathing system [4]. Isomers of xylene can be found in the list of hazardous and toxic atmospheric contaminants under Original Research Article