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CuO-ZnO-CdWO4: a sustainable and environmentally benign photocatalytic system for water cleansing

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Abstract

Currently, there is a major problem of water contaminations, especially of dyes, all over the world. A new technique is being developed daily for the treatment of contaminated water. In many ways, a photocatalytic degradation of a dye by a mixed metal oxide photocatalyst is counted as the best technique for water treatment. This paper also addresses the preparation and photocatalytic application of newly developed mixed metal oxide nanocomposite, CuO-ZnO-CdWO4. A novel mixed metal oxide CuO-ZnO-CdWO4 nanocomposite has been synthesized by a green route using Brassica Rapa leaves extract. The application of CuO-ZnO-CdWO4 as a photocatalyst in wastewater treatment has been thoroughly discussed. Several spectroscopic and microscopic techniques were used to characterize the prepared nanocomposite. The photocatalytic activity of CuO-ZnO-CdWO4 nanocomposite with a band gap of 3.13 eV was observed under the artificial visible light and sunlight for the degradation of Congo red dye. The results under sunlight show the 1.45 times greater removal efficiency than under the artificial visible light. Pseudo-first-order, diffusion, and Singh kinetics models were used to describe the kinetics of dye degradation. Pseudo-first-order model was found to be best fitted model for present study. The performance of CuO-ZnO-CdWO4 was estimated by significant parameters such as quantum yield, figure of merit, turnover number, and mean turnover frequency. The value these parameters were calculated as 1.70 × 10−8 molecules photon−1, 1.77 × 10−4, 2.98 × 108 s−1, and 3.31 × 10−4 s−1, respectively. These parameters revealed high potential of CuO-ZnO-CdWO4 for Congo red dye degradation.

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Acknowledgements

Authors (Bushra Fatima and Sharf Ilahi Siddiqui) are acknowledging the Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, India, for providing the necessary laboratory facilities for conducting this research.

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Bushra Fatima and Sharf Ilahi Siddiqui: Formal analysis, data curation, writing—original draft, prepared the composite, and performed the photocatalysis experiments; contributed reagents, materials, analysis tools, or data; conceived and designed the experiments; analyzed and interpreted the data; wrote the manuscript. Rabia Ahmad: Formal analysis, data curation, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing, analyzed and interpreted the data; wrote the manuscript. Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh: Formal analysis, data curation, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing, conceived and designed the experiments; analyzed and interpreted the data; English proof reading. Van Nam Thai: Formal analysis, data curation, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing, analyzed and interpreted the data; reviewed the manuscript; English proof reading.

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Correspondence to Van Nam Thai.

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Highlights

• This study reports the green synthesis of CuO-ZnO-CdWO4 heterostructure photocatalyst.

• CuO-ZnO-CdWO4 was prepared using the aqueous extract of Brassica Rapa leaves.

• Photocatalyst was tested for Congo red dye degradation under sunlight and halogen lamp.

• The efficient photocatalytic performance of CuO-ZnO-CdWO4 was reported under sunlight.

• The kinetics and performance parameters* were discussed also for CuO-ZnO-CdWO4.

*Performance parameters: Quantum yield, Figure of merit, Turnover number, and Turnover frequency.

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Fatima, B., Siddiqui, S.I., Ahmad, R. et al. CuO-ZnO-CdWO4: a sustainable and environmentally benign photocatalytic system for water cleansing. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 53793–53803 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14543-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14543-9

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