Abstract
A CuO/bentonite composite photocatalyst was prepared to fully utilize the adsorption capacity of bentonite and the photocatalytic activity of CuO. CuO and bentonite were chosen as a photocatalyst due to the excellent optical property of CuO and large specific surface area of bentonite, together with their high stability and low production cost. The sample was characterized by XRD, SEM, and BET. The effects of several factors on degradation process were investigated such as dosage of H2O2, irradiation time, pH of the solution, and dosage of catalyst. The optimum conditions for decolorization of methylene blue solution by CuO/bentonite were determined. Under optimal conditions, the decolorization efficiency of methylene blue by a 1.4% CuO/bentonite (400 °C) composite photocatalyst under visible irradiation at 240 min reached 96.98%. The degradation process follow edpseudo-second-order kinetics. The photocatalytic mechanism is discussed in detail. This composite structure provides a new solution to the cycle and aggregation of the photocatalyst in water.
Highlights
Methylene blue (MB) solution was used as a target pollutant, and visible irradiation was simulated; the photocatalytic activity of CuO/bentonite composite was evaluated by the fading degree of MB in water under visible irradiation
The diffraction peak intensity of 1.4% CuO/bentonite (400 ◦ C) decreased significantly and the diffraction angle increased to 9.12◦, which was caused by the decrease in crystal plane order and layer spacing of montmorillonite due to the partial entry of Cu2+ into the montmorillonite layer of bentonite and the replacement of some hydrated metal ions
A new type of CuO/bentonite composite photocatalyst was prepared on the basis of activity of semiconductors, such as TiO [46] and zinc oxide (ZnO) [47]
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Photocatalytic technology based on semiconductor materials provides a new way to solve energy and environmental problems [2,3,4]. Due to its improved photocatalytic performance, titanium dioxide is widely used in the form of nanoparticles [8] Another successful photocatalyst is zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. Li [24] used activated carbon-loaded nano CuO to treat dye wastewater, and the removal rate of COD reached 84.6%. To solve the problems of nano CuO, such as easy agglomeration and difficult recovery, a new type of CuO/bentonite composite based on adsorption and photocatalytic activity was prepared in this study. Methylene blue (MB) solution was used as a target pollutant, and visible irradiation was simulated; the photocatalytic activity of CuO/bentonite composite was evaluated by the fading degree of MB in water under visible irradiation.
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