Synthesis and Characterization of CuO Nanocomposites Doped with Cr <sup>3+</sup> and Mn <sup>2+</sup> for Efficient Photodegradation of Organic Dyes (MB & MO)

Abstract

Nanocomposites CuO/CuCr 2 O 4 /CuSO 4 (1) and CuO/CuMn 2 O 4 /CuSO 4 (2) were synthesized by chemical deposition, and their structural, morphological, optical, and thermal properties were investigated by FTIR, XRD, FESEM, TEM, EDX, UV-Vis DRS, and TG-DTA. From the analysis of the obtained data, analysis of FESEM, TEM, and EDS data revealed that nanocomposites have a sheet structure and that the elements are homogeneously scattered throughout the structure. The doped Cr and Mn elements in nanocomposites (1) and (2) form the CuCr 2 O 4 and CuMn 2 O 4 spinel structures, respectively. Thermal analysis shows that the compounds have a high thermal stability. Apart from that, the photocatalytic activity of the compounds is very effective in cationic (MB) and anionic (MO) degradation colored pollutants in the presence of H 2 O 2 and under sunlight. A kinetic study showed that degradation follows the first-order kinetics; therefore, these nanocomposites are good candidates for color degradation with good efficiency in wastewater treatment.