Abstract
Nanocomposites CuO and CuO/CuZnO were synthesized by chemical deposition because this method is faster, easier, and cheaper than other methods. FESEM analysis showed that synthesized nanoparticles have a rice-like structure, TEM micrograph showed that they crystallized in a 2D structure, and EDS element mapping showed that the elements are homogeneously scattered throughout the structure. The doped Zn elements in nanocomposite CuO/CuZnO form the Cu–O–Zn structures. Thermal analysis showed that the compound CuO/CuZnO has a high thermal stability. The photocatalytic activity of the compound is very effective in cationic (MB) and anionic (MO) degradation of colored pollutants in the presence of H2O2 and under sunlight. A kinetic study showed that degradation follows the first-order kinetics. Synthesized nanoparticles have good catalytic performance with high repeatability to the fifth cycle of degradation reaction. Therefore, these nanocomposites are good candidates for color degradation with a good efficiency in wastewater treatment.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
X. Li, Y. Che, Y. Lv, F. Liu, Y. Wang, C. Zhao, C. Liu, Synthesis and characterization of CuZnO@GO nanocomposites and their enhanced antibacterial activity with visible light. J. Sol-Gel Sci. Technol. 89, 672–684 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-018-4872-y
J.W. Shi, J.T. Zheng, Y. Hu, Y.C. Zhao, Influence of Fe3+ and Ho3+ co-doping on the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. Mater. Chem. Phys. 106, 247–249 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2007.05.042
R. Saravanan, S. Joicy, V.K. Gupta, V. Narayanan, A. Stephen, Visible light induced degradation of methylene blue using CeO2/V2O5 and CeO2/CuO catalysts. Mater. Sci. Eng. C 33, 4725–4731 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2013.07.034
L. Zhu, H. Li, Z. Liu, P. Xia, Y. Xie, D. Xiong, Synthesis of 0D/3D CuO/ZnO heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic activity. J. Phys. Chem. C 122(17), 9531–9539 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.8b01933
J. Ran, H. Chen, X. Bai, Sh. Bi, H. Jiang, G. Cai, D. Cheng, X. Wang, Immobilizing CuO/BiVO4 nanocomposite on PDA-templated cotton fabric for visible light photocatalysis, antimicrobial activity and UV protection. Appl. Surf. Sci. 493, 1167–1176 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.07.137
K. Rajendaran, R. Muthuramalingam, S. Ayyadurai, Green synthesis of Ag-Mo/CuO nanoparticles using Azadirachta indica leaf extracts to study its solar photocatalytic and antimicrobial activities. Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process 91, 230–238 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2018.11.021
C.S. Ponseca Jr., P. Chabera, J. Uhlig, P. Persson, V. Sundstrom, Ultrafast electron dynamics in solar energy conversion. Am. Chem. Soc. 16, 10940–11024 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00807
Y.T. Prabhu, V.N. Rao, M.V. Shankar, B. Sreedhar, U. Pal, Facile hydrothermal synthesis of CuO@ZnO heterojunction nanostructures for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. New J. Chem. 43, 6794–6805 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1039/C8NJ06056H
M. Pirhashemi, A. Habibi-Yangjeh, Sh. Rahim Pouran, Review on the criteria anticipated for the fabrication of highly efficient ZnO-based visible-light-driven photocatalysts. J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 62, 1–25 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiec.2018.01.012
M.H. Barzega, M. Ghaedi, V. Madadi Avargani, M.M. Sabzehmeidani, F. Sadeghfar, R. Jannesar, Electrochemical synthesis and efficient photocatalytic degradation of azo dye alizarin yellow R by Cu/CuO nanorods under visible LED light irradiation using experimental design methodology. Polymer 158, 506–514 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2018.10.040
W. Wang, Y. Ye, J. Feng, M. Chi, J. Guo, Y. Yin, Enhanced photoreversible color switching of redox dyes catalyzed by barium-doped TiO2 nanocrystals. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 54, 1321–1326 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201410408
J. Chen, J. Cen, X. Xu, X. Li, The application of heterogeneous visible light photocatalysts in organic synthesis. Catal. Sci. Technol. 6, 349–362 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1039/C5CY01289A
M.P. Rao, P. Sathishkumar, R.V. Mangalaraja, A.M. Asiri, P. Sivashanmugam, S. Anandan, Simple and low-cost synthesis of CuO nanosheets for visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of textile dyes. J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 6(2), 2003–2010 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2018.03.008
T. Jiang, Y. Wang, D. Meng, X. Wu, J. Wang, J. Chen, Controllable fabrication of CuO nanostructure by hydrothermalmethod and its properties. Appl. Surf. Sci. 311, 602–608 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.05.116
D.C.T. Nguyen, K.Y. Cho, W.C. Oh, Mesoporous CuO-graphene coating of mesoporous TiO2 for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity of organic dyes. Sep. Purif. Technol. 211, 646–657 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2018.10.009
R. Liu, J. Yin, W. Du, F. Gao, Y. Fan, Q. Lu, Monodisperse CuO hard and hollow nanospheres as visible-light photocatalysts. Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 8, 1358–1362 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1002/ejic.201200975
M.P. Rao, J.J. Wu, A.M. Asiri, S. Anandan, Photocatalytic degradation of Tartrazine dye using CuO straw-sheaf-like nanostructures. Waste Sci. Technol. 75(6), 1421–1430 (2017). https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2017.008
J.S. Lee, A. Katoch, J.H. Kim, S.S. Kim, Effect of Au nanoparticle size on the gas-sensing performance of p-CuO nanowires. Sens. Actuator B 222, 307–314 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2015.08.037
S.H. Kim, A. Umar, S.W. Hwang, Rose-like CuO nanostructures for highly sensitive glucose chemical sensor application. Ceram. Int. 41, 9468–9475 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2015.04.003
C. Dong, X. Xing, N. Chen, X. Liu, Y. Wang, Biomorphic synthesis of hollow CuO fibers for low-ppm-leveln-propanol detection via a facile solution combustion method. Sens. Actuator. B 230, 1–8 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2016.01.043
A.N. Thakur, K. Kumar, K.K. Sharma, Application of Co-doped copper oxide nanoparticles against different multidrug resistance bacteria. Inorg. Nano-Metal Chem. 50, 933–943 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1080/24701556.2020.1728554
H. Hamrouni, A. Lachheb, Houas, Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activity of ZnO-SnO2 nanocomposites. Mater. Sci. Eng. B 178, 1371–1379 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mseb.2013.08.008
S.M. Lam, J.C. Sin, A.Z. Abdullah, A.R. Mohamed, Transition metal oxide loaded ZnO nanorods: preparation, characterization and their UV–vis photocatalytic activities. Sep. Purif. Technol. 132, 378–387 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2014.05.043
H. Wang, L. Zhang, Z. Chen, J. Hu, Sh. Li, Z. Wang, J. Liu, X. Wang, Semiconductor heterojunction photocatalysts: design, construction, and photocatalytic performances. Chem. Soc. Rev 43, 5234–5244 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1039/C4CS00126E
S. Iqbal, A. Bahadur, Sh. Anwer, Sh. Ali, R.M. Irfan, H. Li, M. Shoaib, M. Raheel, T.A. Anjum, M. Zulqarnain, Effect of temperature and reaction time on the morphology of L-cysteine surface capped chalcocite (Cu2S) snowflakes dendrites nanoleaves and photodegradation Study of Methyl orange dye under visible light. Coll. Surf. A 601, 124984 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.124984
S. Iqbal, Spatial charge separation and transfer in L-cysteine capped NiCoP/CdS nano-heterojunction activated with intimate covalent bonding for high-quantum-yield photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Appl. Catal. B Environ. 274, 119097 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.119097
A. Shah, M.A. Bhatti, A. Tahira, A.D. Chandio, I.A. Channa, A.G. Sahito, S. Ebrahim, M. Willander, O. Nur, Z.H. Ibupoto, Facile synthesis of copper doped ZnO nanorods for the efficient photo degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange. Ceram. Int. 46, 9997–10005 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.12.024
A.A.M. Sakib, S.M. Masum, J. Hoinkis, R. Islam, M. Mola, Synthesis of CuO/ZnO nanocomposites and their application in photodegradation of toxic textile dye. J. Comput. Sci. 3, 91 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs3030091
T.T. Minh, N.T.T. Tu, T.T.V. Thi, L.T. Hoa, H.T. Long, N.H. Phong, T.L.M. Pham, D.Q. Khieu, Synthesis of porous octahedral ZnO/CuO composites from Zn/Cu-based MOF-199 and their applications in visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of dyes. J. Nanomater. 3, 1–16 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/5198045
A.G. Acedo-Mendoza, A. Infantes-Molina, D. Vargas-Hernández, C.A. Chávez-Sánchez, E. Rodríguez-CastellÓn, J.C. Tánori-CÓrdova, Photodegradation of methylene blue and methyl orange with CuO supported on ZnO photocatalysts: The effect of copper loading and reaction temperature. Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 119, 105257 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2020.105257
J.E. Lee, Ch.K. Lim, H.J. Park, H. Song, S.Y. Choi, D.S. Lee, ZnO-CuO core-hollow cube nanostructures for highly sensitive acetone gas sensors at a ppb level. ACS Appl. Mater. Int. 12(31), 35688–35697 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c08593
Y. Wang, T. Jiang, D. Meng, J. Yang, Y. Li, Q. Ma, J. Han, Fabrication of nanostructured CuO films by electrodeposition and their photocatalytic properties. Appl. Surf. Sci. 317, 414–421 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.08.144
Y. Wang, D. Wang, B. Yan, Y. Chen, C. Song, Fabrication of diverse CuO nanostructures via hydrothermal method and their photocatalytic properties. J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron. 27, 6918–6924 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-016-4645-8
N. Ghobadi, S. Chobin, S. Rezaee, R. Shakoury, Tuning the optical and photocatalytic features of copper selenide prepared by chemical solution deposition method. Surf. Int. 21, 100706 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfin.2020.100706
Z. Zhang, Y. Yuan, L. Liang, Y. Cheng, G. Shi, L. Jin, Preparation and photoelectrocatalytic activity of ZnO nanorods embedded in highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays electrode for azo dye degradation. J. Hazard. Mater. 158, 517–522 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.01.118
M.U. Anu Prathap, B. Kaur, R. Srivastava, Hydrothermal synthesis of CuO micro-/nanostructures and their applications in the oxidative degradation of methylene blue and non-enzymatic sensing of glucose/H2O2. J. Coll. Int. Sci. 370, 144–154 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2011.12.074
S. Iqbal, A. Bahadur, S. Anwer, M. Shoaib, G. Liu, H. Li, M. Raheel, M. Javed, B. Khalid, Design novel morphologies of L-cysteine surface capped 2D covellite (CuS) nanoplates and study the effect of CuS morphologies on dye degradation rate under visible light. CrystEngComm 22, 4162–4173 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1039/D0CE00421A
Z. Li, N. Wang, Z. Lin, J. Wang, W. Liu, K. Sun, Y.Q.R. Fu, Z. Wang, Room-temperature high performance H2S sensor based on porous CuO nanosheets prepared by hydrothermal method. ACS Appl. Mater. Int. 8(32), 20962–20968 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6b02893
C. Liu, F. Meng, L. Zhang, D. Zhang, S. Wei, K. Qi, J. Fan, H. Zhang, X. Cui, CuO/ZnO heterojunction nanoarrays for enhanced photoelectrochemical water oxidation. Appl. Surf. Sci. 469, 276–282 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2018.11.054
Y. Wang, Q. Ma, H. Jia, Z. Wang, One-step solution synthesis and formation mechanism of flower-like ZnO and its structural and optical characterization. Ceram. Int. 42, 10751–10757 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2016.03.200
S. Iqbal, M. Javed, A. Bahadur, M.A. Qamar, M. Ahmad, M. Shoaib, M. Raheel, N. Ahmad, M.B. Akbar, H. Li, Controlled synthesis of Ag-doped CuO nanoparticles as a core with poly(acrylic acid) microgel shell for efficient removal of methylene blue under visible light. J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron. 31, 8423–8435 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-03377-9
A. El-Trass, H. ElShamy, I. El-Mehasseb, M. El-Kemary, CuO nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization, optical properties and interaction with amino acids. Appl. Surf. Sci. 258, 2997–3001 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2011.11.025
K. Phiwdang, S. Suphankij, W. Mekprasart, W. Pecharapa, Synthesis of CuO nanoparticles by precipitation method using different precursors. Energy Procedia 34, 740–745 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2013.06.808
M. Forouzani, H.R. Mardani, M. Ziari, A. Malekzadeh, P. Biparva, Comparative study of oxidation of benzyl alcohol: influence of Cu-doped metal cation on nano ZnO catalytic activity. Chem. Eng. J. 275, 220–226 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2015.04.032
S. Ponmudi, R. Sivakumar, C. Sanjeeviraja, C. Gopalakrishnan, K. Jeyadheepan, Tuning the morphology of Cr2O3:CuO (50:50) thin films by RF magnetron sputtering for room temperature sensing application. Appl. Surf. Sci. 466, 703–714 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2018.10.096
M. Kantcheva, FT-IR spectroscopic investigation of the reactivity of NOx species adsorbed on Cu2+/ZrO2 and CuSO4/ZrO2 catalysts toward decane. Appl. Catal. B: Environ. 42, 89–109 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0926-3373(02)00218-7
S. Iqbal, R.A. Khan, M.J. Iqbal, M. Waqas, J. Nisar, F. Shah, A.R. Khan, Influence of Fe2+ and Ni2+ contents on the optical and electrical properties of ZnS quantum dots. J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron. 28, 4449–4457 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-016-6074-0
S. Iqbal, Z. Pan, K. Zhou, Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from in situ formation of few-layered MoS2/CdS nanosheet-based van der Waals heterostructures. Nanoscale 9, 6638–6642 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1039/C7NR01705G
P. Chand, A. Gaur, A. Kumar, U.K. Gaur, Effect of NaOH molar concentration on morphology, optical and ferroelectric properties of hydrothermally grown CuO nanoplates. Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 38, 72–80 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2015.04.006
J. Low, J. Yu, M. Jaroniec, S. Wageh, A.A. Al-Ghamdi, Heterojunction photocatalysts. Adv. Mater. 29(20), 1601694 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201601694
S. Iqbal, A. Bahadur, S. Anwer, S. Ali, A. Saeed, R.M. Irfan, H. Li, M. Javed, M. Raheel, M. Shoaib, Shape and phase-controlled synthesis of specially designed 2D morphologies of L-cysteine surface capped covellite (CuS) and chalcocite (Cu2S) with excellent photocatalytic properties in the visible spectrum. Appl. Surf. Sci. 526, 46691 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.146691
M.A. Qamar, S. Shahid, M. Javed, S. Iqbal, M. Sher, M.B. Akbar, Highly efficient g-C3N4/Cr-ZnO nanocomposites with superior photocatalytic and antibacterial activity. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A: Chem. 401, 112776 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2020.112776
X. Yang, Y. Wang, Z. Wang, X. Lv, H. Jia, J. Kong, M. Yu, Preparation of CdS/TiO2 nanotube arrays and the enhanced photocatalytic property. Ceram. Int. 42, 7192–7202 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2016.01.109
L.V. Trandafilović, D.J. Jovanović, X. Zhang, S. Ptasińska, M.D. Dramićanin, Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and methylorange by ZnO: Eu nanoparticles. Appl. Catal. B: Environ. 203, 740–752 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2016.10.063
S. Verma, B.T. Rao, J. Jayabalan, S.K. Rai, D.M. Phase, A.K. Srivastava, R. Kaul, Studies on growth of Au cube-ZnO core-shell nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange dyes in aqueous media and in presence of different scavengers. J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 7, 103209 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2019.103209
B. Paul, D.D. Bhuyan, S.S. Purkayastha, S. Dhar, Behera, Facile synthesis of spinel CuCr2O4 nanoparticles and studies of their photocatalytic activity in degradation of some selected organic dyes. J. Alloys Compd. 648, 629–635 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.07.012
S. Senobari, A.R. Nezamzadeh-Ejhieh, A comprehensive study on the enhanced photocatalytic activity of CuO-NiO nanoparticles: designing the experiments. J. Mol. Liq. 261, 208–217 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2018.04.028
P. Deka, R.C. Deka, P. Bharali, Porous CuO nanostructure as a reusable catalyst for oxidative degradation of organic water pollutants. New J. Chem. 40, 348–357 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1039/c5nj02515j
J. Li, M. Cui, Z. Guo, Z. Liu, Z. Zhu, Synthesis of dumbbell-like CuO–BiVO4 heterogeneous nanostructures with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity. Mater. Lett. 130, 36–39 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2014.05.084
Acknowledgement
The authors of this article express their gratitude for Sistan and Baluchestan University financial support of the project.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Memar, M., Rezvani, A.R. & Saheli, S. Synthesis, characterization, and application of CuO nanoparticle 2D doped with Zn2+ against photodegradation of organic dyes (MB & MO) under sunlight. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 32, 2127–2145 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-04979-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-04979-z