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Converting synthetic azo dye and real textile wastewater into clean energy by using synthesized CuO/C as photocathode in dual-photoelectrode photocatalytic fuel cell

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Abstract

Cathode in photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) plays a crucial role in degradation of organic contaminants. In this study, synthesized copper oxide (CuO) was loaded on carbon plate and used as photocathode in PFC for degradation of synthetic azo dye Reactive Black 5 (RB5) and real textile wastewater. Morphology and structural phase of the synthesized CuO were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Several operating parameters had been investigated such as light irradiation, initial dye concentration, and pH of azo dye solution within 6 h of irradiation time. The lowest initial concentration of RB5 (10 mg L−1) achieved 100% color removal compared to the highest initial concentration (40 mg L−1) which only achieved 77.1% color removal within 6 h of irradiation time. The influence of external resistance was significant in electricity generation but trivial in dye degradation efficiency. The external resistance of 6000 Ω yielded highest maximum power density, with Pmax of 0.2631 μW cm−2, followed by 1000 Ω (0.2196 μW cm−2) and 8000 Ω (0.1587 μW cm−2), respectively. The real textile wastewater with dilution ratio (DR) 1:6 yielded the highest energy conversion efficiency, η (3.62%), followed by DR 1:4 (3.19%) and DR 1:2 (1.96%), respectively.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge that this research project was supported by the postdoctoral research grant (Grant no. 9001-00723) provided by the University Malaysia Perlis.

Funding

The funding is provided by the University Malaysia Perlis through postdoctoral research grant (Grant no. 9001–00723).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Excellence Water Research and Environmental Sustainability Growth (WAREG), Faculty of Civil Engineering and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Perlis, Malaysia

    Wan Fadhilah Khalik, Li-Ngee Ho, Soon-An Ong, Shen-Hui Thor & Kea-Lee Yap

  2. Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Perlis, Malaysia

    Wan Fadhilah Khalik, Li-Ngee Ho, Nun-Bao Lai, Shen-Hui Thor & Kea-Lee Yap

  3. Faculty of Civil Engineering and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Perlis, Malaysia

    Soon-An Ong

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  1. Wan Fadhilah Khalik
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  2. Li-Ngee Ho
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  4. Nun-Bao Lai
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  5. Shen-Hui Thor
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Contributions

WFK: methodology, visualization, writing — original draft preparation. L-NH: supervision, conceptualization, writing — review and editing. S-AO: project administration. N-BL: validation. S-HT: validation. K-LY: validation.

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Correspondence to Li-Ngee Ho.

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Khalik, W.F., Ho, LN., Ong, SA. et al. Converting synthetic azo dye and real textile wastewater into clean energy by using synthesized CuO/C as photocathode in dual-photoelectrode photocatalytic fuel cell. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 58516–58526 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-26589-y

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