Photo catalytic degradation of methylene blue dye using cuprous oxide/graphene nanocomposite

Abstract

The stability of Cu2O nanoparticles due to the fast recombination rate of electron/hole pairs remains a significant challenge in its photocatalytic applications for water treatment. In this study, Cu2O/graphene nanocomposite was prepared for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. Cu2O/graphene nanocomposites were synthesized from graphite powder and copper nitrate using the facile sol-gel method. In addition, initial process parameters such as contact time, catalyst dosage, and pH of the solution were examined for MB removal. The prepared hybrid nanocomposites were characterized using UV-Vis, FT-IR, XRD, and SEM instruments. The photocatalytic activities of Cu2O nanoparticles and Cu2O/graphene nanocomposite were compared for cationic methylene blue (MB) dye degradation. Cu2O/graphene nanocomposite exhibits higher photocatalytic activity on MB (with a removal efficiency of 94%) than bare Cu2O nanoparticles (67%). The kinetic study of the MB degradation process confirmed that the second-order kinetic model fits the experimental data. Thus, this work indicated new insights into Cu2O/graphene nanocomposite as high-performance in photocatalysis to degrade MB, playing a great role in environmental protection in relation to MB dye.