Synthesis of ZnO/CuO Nanocomposites and Study of their Photocatalytic Properties

Abstract

Treatment of waste water containing organic dyes is very challenging. Photocatalysis can be a viable way to address this problem. Nanocomposites of ZnO/CuO are synthesized in the current study using composite-hydroxide mediated (CHM) approach. The optimal ZnO/CuO composition for the photocatalytic degradation of the methylene blue (MB) is prepared using a variety of compositions. Due to its outstanding catalytic activity and low energy consumption, photocatalytic degradation is one of the most promising methods for removing organic pollutants from our environment. In order to increase the photocatalytic activity for the oxidation of methylene blue, the practical involvement of CuO in ZnO is explored in this study. XRD, SEM, FTIR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy techniques are characterize the synthesized samples. The structural properties reveal that the CuO have a monoclinic phase and ZnO have hexagonal phase structure. According to UV-Vis spectroscopy, all the samples exhibit excellent absorption in the visible spectrum. Increasing the CuO concentration resulted in reduction in the band gap energy from 3.22 eV to 1.73 eV. SEM results shows cotton like surface morphology. The range of particle size lies between 70-200 nm. An FTIR peak observed in 490-600 cm-1 shows the formation of metal oxide. Maximum degradation of MB was seen for sample S5, after 150 min which is about 91%