Synthesis and Characterization of CeO2/CuO Nanocomposites for Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue in Visible Light

Abstract

Removal of hazardous organic dyes from polluted water bodies requires the introduction of strong adsorbents and photocatalysts to industrial wastewaters. Herein, photocatalytic CeO2 nanoparticles and CeO2/CuO nanocomposite were synthesized following a co-precipitation method for low cost elution of methylene blue (MB) from water. The crystallinity and surface structure of the as-prepared materials have been analyzed using characterization techniques including X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), ultra-violet visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The average particle size of both the nano scaled samples were approximately 20–30 nm. The photocatalytic properties of CeO2/CuO were investigated under visible light against methylene blue (MB). The results showed 91% photodegradation of MB organic pollutant in 3 h as monitored by UV–Vis spectroscopy. Absorbance peaks appeared at around 670 nm corresponding to degradation of MB. Such output displayed the effectiveness of Ce nanocomposites for environmental benefits. Hence, CeO2/CuO nanocomposite could be useful for treatment of industrial wastewaters by removing hazardous MB dye.