Copper-modified graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for the photo-assisted removal of basic blue-3 dye

Abstract

Basic Blue 3 (BB3) dye is a very contaminating substance that poses a substantial risk to human health and the environment. To solve this issue, we synthesized carbon-based materials, such as graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (R-GO), and their nanocomposites, which demonstrated exceptional potential for the photo-assisted removal of BB3 dye. Pristine GO and R-GO were synthesized using a modified Hummers' method, while copper (Cu) nanoparticles (NPs) were incorporated through a simple co-precipitation method to boost the photocatalytic performance of the resultant hybrid materials. A detailed characterization of these synthesized nano-materials was performed using several analytical techniques to understand their structural, morphological, and chemical properties. Characterization results confirmed the successful fabrication of the desired hybrid nanocomposites. The photo-assisted removal of BB3 dye using synthesized nano-materials was evaluated under a batch methodology, changing the experimental conditions to optimize BB3 dye removal from wastewater. The results exhibited that Cu@R-GO and Cu@GO nanocomposites exhibited notable photocatalytic performance, accomplishing maximum removal rates of 75.41% and 68.05%, respectively. These values were meaningfully higher than those of R-GO (44.92%) and GO (35.11%) under the same experimental conditions. Furthermore, to increase insights into the degradation mechanism, the experimental data were analyzed using thermodynamic and kinetic models. The results indicate that the Cu@R-GO nanocomposite not only possesses excellent degradation abilities but also displays promising thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for the photo-assisted removal of BB3 dye. The results of our study clearly indicate that the Cu@R-GO nanocomposite as an outstanding candidate for the photocatalytic removal of impurities from wastewater, offering a possible solution for environmental remediation.