Fabrication of CuO derived reduced graphene oxide photocatalyst for the strategic decolorization of Congo red from an aqueous environment

Abstract

Herein, we designed a novel reduced graphene oxide functionalized copper oxide (rGO-CuO) nanocomposite material through simple method. The synthesized rGO-CuO nanocomposite is rigorously characterized via advanced techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). These characterizations reveal crucial insights into the nanocomposite crystalline attributes, phase purity, morphological characteristics, and elemental composition, collectively confirming its successful fabrication. Furthermore, the synthesized nanocomposite is subsequently used for the proficient decolorization of Congo Red (CR) dye within an aqueous medium employing a careful optimization of experimental variables including the concentration of sodium borohydride (NaBH4), solar irradiation, and catalytic dosage. The developed photocatalytic achieved 98.7 % degradation of CR dye at a minimal catalyst dosage of 2.4 mg in a 5-min reaction time. Notably, the nanocomposite exhibits reusability for up to five cycles with 88 % efficiency, underscoring the durability and reliability of the rGO-CuO photocatalyst. Moreover, the kinetic study evaluation demonstrated that the decolorization of dye at surface of the catalyst follows pseudo first order reaction. The rGO-CuO nanocomposite could be a suitable candidate for the rapid photocatalytic degradation of CR dye not only at low level but also at industrial scale.