Facile Synthesis of Tin-Doped Copper Oxide Loaded on Almond Shell Activated Carbon Composite for the Photodegradation of Organic Pollutants Under Sunlight

Abstract

With a wide range of development opportunities, photocatalytic technology provides a potent solution to today's energy and environmental issues. In this study, a tin-doped copper oxide nanoparticle loaded on almond shell activated carbon (Sn: CuO/ASAC) were prepared and thoroughly examined and described using UV-DRS, XRD, BET, FT-IR, SEM with EDS, and XPS. Band gap energy was decreased and visible absorbance was increased as a result of Sn-doping and ASAC loading. Therefore, by altering batch experimental conditions such starting pH and the quantity of Sn-doped CuO loaded on ASAC composite, all the product samples were employed for MB dye degradation from aqueous solution under sunlight. The obtained results revealed that >99.37% MB removal over composite sample was achieved within 90 min by using 1.2 g L⁻¹ adsorbent dosage, 40-mg/L MB at weakly alkaline pH values. The kinetics study accurately describes the MB degradation rates, revealing a high rate constant of 0.052 min⁻¹ for the composite samples as compared to other samples. The photocatalytic mechanism of the composite was studied by radical scavenging tests of the Sn: CuO/ASAC. These findings suggested that the ASAC composite loaded with Sn-doped CuO could be considered as a dye wastewater treatment technique.