Autogenous deposition of copper oxide onto polyaniline nanocomposite catalysts for the photodegradation of methylene blue and congo red: Experimental inquiry, RSM optimization, and DFT calculation

Abstract

This research focuses on synthesizing, characterizing, and applying copper oxide@polyaniline (CuO@PANI) nanocomposites formed by the autogenous deposition of CuO nanoparticles onto polyaniline (PANI). The synthesis was conducted via an in-situ polymerization process using CuCl₂ as both a catalyst and precursor for CuO. The resulting CuO@PANI nanocomposite was characterized through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and point of zero charge (pHPZC) analysis. The study evaluated the catalytic efficiency of CuO@PANI in degrading Methylene Blue (MB) and Congo Red (CR) dyes, achieving notable degradation efficiencies of 85 % for MB and 92 % for CR at an initial dye concentration of 50 mg/L using a catalyst dose of 1.2 g/L over 60 min. The catalyst demonstrated consistent performance across four cycles, highlighting its potential as an environmentally friendly solution for wastewater treatment.