Solar-energy-driven CuOCo3O4@CP Nanocomposite Thin-Film: an Efficient Photocatalyst for Acid Red 73 Degradation

Nowadays, solar photocatalysis has received a lot of attention as an effective method for environmental remediation. During the last few decades, textile dyeing and finishing industries produced a large quantity of wastewater discharges with complex compositions. Herein, we first reported CuOCo3O4@CP was successfully fabricated using a cost-effective, eco-friendly, extremely reliable spray pyrolysis method. Crystal structure, surface texture, elemental purity and optical properties of fabricated thin-films were analyzed using XRD, SEM, EDX, UV-vis spectrophotometers, DLS and FTIR techniques. Functional parameters such as initial dye pH, solar irradiation time, oxidant concentration and initial acid red 73 (AR 73) dye concentration were optimized using statistical design response surface methodology (RSM). The estimation of AR 73 dye was assessed by UV-vis spectroscopy and FTIR study. Resultantly, >94 % AR 73 dye degradation was achieved using CuOCo3O4@CP under optimum conditions. Meanwhile, water standard parameters reduction like COD (76 %), BOD (64 %), and TOC (60 %) were also executed. In the end, the most important factor reusability of fabricated CuOCo3O4@CP was also reviewed up to 20 cycles and CuOCo3O4@CP was sustained up to 10 cycles without any loss of efficiency; 23 % deduction was observed till 20 cycles. Hence, fabricated CuOCo3O4@CP thin-film has been considered a novel photocatalyst for effluent treatment.