Effect of Yttrium on structural, optical, morphological, magnetic and photocatalytic properties of CuO nanostructures

The consumption of sunlight semiconductor photocatalysts is investigated as an effective method for treating harmful dyes, chemicals, and industrial effluents. This work focuses on enhancing the photocatalytic activity of copper oxide (CuO) by preparing yttrium (Y³⁺) doped CuO nanostructures with varying concentrations (1, 3, 5, 10, and 15 mol%) via a hydrothermal route. The synthesized pure CuO and Y³⁺ incorporated CuO nanoparticles were analyzed using advanced characterization techniques. Among the various concentrations of yttrium doped CuO, the optimum concentration YC-10, was selected for structural, optical, morphological, and magnetic studies. The XRD (X-ray diffraction) results indicate that CuO has a monoclinic structure and confirm the incorporation of the Y³⁺ dopant into the CuO lattice. The electronegativity of the yttrium dopant is lower than that of pristine CuO, confirming the presence of Cu²⁺ ions as evidenced by XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). The surface area of the samples was analyzed using BET (Brunauer Emmett Teller) analysis, revealing a larger surface area that facilitates more efficient photocatalytic reactions. The photocatalytic degradation efficiencies of the selected organic pollutants, RhB and CIP, are 89% and 83% for the YC-10 sample respectivel1 a decrease in organic carbon content. After mining, the unaffected crystallinity of YC-10 demonstrates better stability, making it a promising candidate for environmental remediation.