HOLLOW CUO MICROPARTICLES FOR THE EFFICIENT DEGRADATION OF MODEL POLLUTANT DYES

Abstract

Copper(II) oxide (CuO) is a widely used material in different industries due to its low price, readily availability, long-term photostability, and ability to oxidize different types of organics compounds. However, bare CuO has photocatalytic activity restriction because it cannot generate enough hydroxyl radicals to degrade organic pollutants itself. In this study, H2O2-assisted hollow CuO microspheres were utilized for solar light-activated degradation of model pollutant dyes such as rhodamine B and methylene blue. Morphological analysis revealed that synthesized hollow CuO microspheres with a diameter of ~11–20 μm were composed of small crystal strips pointed towards the center of the microsphere. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption experiments revealed that prepared hollow CuO microspheres have a specific surface area of ~12.184 m2 /g. In particular, synthesized CuO microspheres substantially accelerate the degradation rate of aqueous rhodamine B and methylene blue solutions as compared to commercially available CuO nanoparticles and some other CuO structures reported up to date. The recyclability test revealed that hollow CuO microspheres can be re-used several times without losing the photocatalytic activity.