Green nanoarchitectonics Ce-Co₃O₄/BiVO₄ (p-n) heterojunction nanocomposite: Dual functionality for photodegradation of Congo red and supercapacitor applications

Abstract

In this work, we synthesised a new Ce-doped Co₃O₄/BiVO₄ heterojunction photocatalyst by a green synthesis strategy utilizing Magnifera indica leaf extract for Co₃O₄ and a precipitation method for pure BiVO₄. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were used to investigate the material's structural, optical The Ce-Co₃O₄/BiVO₄ heterojunction decreased the band gap energy to 1.92 eV, resulting in increased visible light absorption. The photocatalytic activity of the developed heterojunction was evaluated by degrading the anionic dye Congo red (CR) under different circumstances such as pH, catalyst dose, dye concentration, and irradiation period. At pH 4, 98 % degradation was obtained using a dye concentration of 50 ppm, a catalyst dose of 40 mg, and 50 min of sun light exposure. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) validated the effective degradation of CR and offered information on the potential degradation process. Kinetic investigations revealed that the photodegradation of CR followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of Ce-Co₃O₄/BiVO₄ heterojunctions in photocatalytic applications, namely for the removal of dye contaminants from wastewater using visible light. Furthermore, the heterojunction showed a substantial rise in specific capacitance, reaching 1353 F/g, 5.4 times that of pure Co3O4. The Nyquist plot displayed a smaller arc radius, indicating improved electrochemical characteristics and a possible application as a semiconductor. These results highlight the Ce-Co₃O₄/BiVO₄ heterojunction as a promising photocatalyst with outstanding dye degrading capabilities and increased electrochemical performance, appropriate for diverse environmental and energy storage applications.