ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Electrodeposited Cu₂O layer as effective visible-light-sensitive photocatalyst toward a continuous operating treatment approach for dyes removal

Kenza Bahloul, Abdellah Khelifa, Salaheddine Aoudj, Saâd Moulay, Mouna Hecini, and Nadjib Drouiche

Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, Faculté de Technologie, Université Saad Dahleb, Blida 1, Algeria

E-mail: nadjibdrouiche@yahoo.fr

Received: 6 February 2023  Accepted: 11 May 2023

Abstract:

The aim of this study is to set up a photoreactor with supported photocatalyst for wastewater solar continuous operation treatment to overcome drawbacks inherent to the use of suspended nanoparticles. Cuprous oxide, a visible-light-sensitive photocatalyst, was electrodeposited as thin layer onto stainless steel 316L (SS316L) using potentiostatic mode in a lactate solution and explored as an efficient attractive alternative. The structure, morphological and electrical characteristics of the electrodeposit, being crucial for processing, were investigated as a function of the applied potential and the pH by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Mott–Schottky plot. The favorable conditions for a compact and adherent deposit were achieved. Degradation of methylene blue (MB), under visible light and sunlight, by the supported photocatalyst, was studied as a function of: MB concentration, volume and pH of the solution, H₂O₂ amount, illumination time. Results showed that the photodegradation efficiency of MB reached more than 98.6% within 60 min under sunlight in natural conditions. Moreover, photocatalyst exhibits synergistic effect of H₂O₂ and also good photocatalytic activity after more than seven cycles. Kinetic investigation showed that the highest reaction rate was observed at about 20 mg L⁻¹ of MB and the process fitted well the pseudo-first-order model. The overall results would make a stainless steel-supported Cu₂O thin layer-based device an efficient and reliable platform for polluted water processing by solar energy under continuous operation.

Keywords: Environmental pollution; Visible-light photocatalytic degradation; Continuous wastewater treatment; Cuprous oxide; Electrodeposition; Methylene blue (MB)

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-023-02869-2

Chemical Papers 77 (9) 5371–5383 (2023)