Efficient methylene blue dye degradation via visible light-activated g-C3N4/CuO nanocomposites

Muthuganesh, A., Rafi, S. Mohamed, Jacob, I. Davis, Soundranayagam, J.P., Subburaj, Surender, Elangovan, P. and Flora, X. Helan 2025. Efficient methylene blue dye degradation via visible light-activated g-C3N4/CuO nanocomposites. Hybrid Advances 9 , 100420. 10.1016/j.hybadv.2025.100420

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Abstract

In this work, pure and heterostructured g-C3N4/CuO photocatalyst materials were prepared using a combination of thermal decomposition and hydrothermal techniques. The phase and purity of the catalysts were examined using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The prepared catalysts were also assessed using different systematic techniques, which demonstrated that the addition of CuO to the g-C3N4 matrix significantly altered the particle size, crystallinity, morphology, and energy bandgap. Heterojunction formation and interfacial contact between CuO and g-C3N4were confirmed by TEM and XPS analyses. The photocatalytic activity of the g-C3N4/CuO nanocomposite was assessed by its ability to break down Methylene Blue (MB), an organic contaminant, under visible-light exposure. Remarkably, the g-C3N4/CuO catalyst demonstrated rapid photocatalytic degradation of MB, achieving 98 % breakdown within 40 min. The increased degradation efficiency of g-C3N4/CuO is due to its lower energy bandgap, enhanced charge transport, and lower charge recombination compared to pure CuO and g-C3N4. Therefore, constructing a g-C3N4/CuO heterostructure could be a promising technique for sewer water treatment.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Engineering
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	2773-207X
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	21 March 2025
Date of Acceptance:	18 February 2025
Last Modified:	25 Mar 2025 10:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/177057

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