Porous CuO nanostructure as a reusable catalyst for oxidative degradation of organic water pollutants

Abstract

A precursor mediated route is developed for the synthesis of a porous CuO nanostructure based on the hydrothermal method using copper chloride dihydrate and urea, followed by calcination at 400 °C for 4 h. The structural and morphological characteristics of the synthesized oxide are examined by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy and BET surface area analyses. The CuO nanostructure is utilized for the catalytic oxidative degradation of both cationic (methylene blue) and anionic (methyl orange) dye pollutants, respectively. It exhibits excellent catalytic performance with good reusability up to the fourth cycle of the degradation reaction. It also provides a new route for promising dye degradation in wastewater treatment.