THE SYNTHESIS OF A COPPER (II) OXIDE (CUO)/ REDUCED GRAPHENE OXIDE (RGO) NANOCOMPOSITE USING A HYDROTHERMAL METHOD FOR USE IN BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
This study focuses on the degradation of pollutants through photocatalysis involves utilizing lightinduced catalytic processes to break down harmful substances. The CuO/RGO nanocomposite is employed for visible light-induced photocatalytic degradation regarding pollutants such as 2-nitrophenol (2-NP) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The nanocomposite was synthesized through a green and straightforward hydrothermal method in a solvent-free environment. The resulting structure and morphology of the product can be characterized as follows: composite was analyzed using FESEM and TEM, while elemental analysis (EDS) was confirmed. The existence of copper, oxygen, and carbon is evident. FTIR spectra revealed characteristics. The peaks detected within the 600-400 cm-1 range confirm the development of monoclinic CuO. Nevertheless, the composites exhibited significant agglomeration attributed to the presence of iron oxide and silver. Continued exploration of the ternary nanocomposite involves further investigation. Morphology was conducted through TEM at magnifications of 50 and 100 nm, highlighting agglomeration issues. The composite exhibited superior degradation of 4-NP compared to pure CuO, achieving complete degradation of 4-NP, while CuO alone achieved only 72%.
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