Synthesis of cuttlebone/ carbon quantum dots/nickel oxide nanocomposite for visible light photodegradation of malachite green used for environmental remediation

Abstract

In recent years, the development of light-driven nanophotocatalysts has focused on efficiently eliminating organic pollutants. In this regard, the present work focuses on the photocatalytic removal of malachite green (MG) dye using cuttlebone powder (CB) modified with carbon quantum dots (CQDs)/nickel oxide (NiO) under visible light irradiation. Various techniques were used to characterize the proposed composite, including X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images. The optical properties of the synthesized CB/CQDs/NiO were analyzed by UV-VIS visible spectroscopy. Using central composite design (CCD), several effective parameters, including pH, dye concentration, amount of photocatalyst, and temperature degradation efficiency, were optimized to achieve the optimal condition for photocatalytic activity of CB/CQDs/NiO. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood model was employed to model the kinetics of the degradation of the dye, the resulting K being 0.378 min−1. The as synthesized nanocomposites could be efficiently removed from water by applying an external magnetic field. The test results indicate that the prepared CB/CQDs/NiO nanocomposite demonstrates excellent stability after four reaction cycles. Furthermore, the nanocomposite shows excellent photocatalytic activity, reducing 99.7% MGdye concentration within 12 min of visible light exposure.