Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Sunlight- Induced Photocatalytic Performance of Fe_۲O_۳@CuO Core– Shell Nanocatalyst for Methylene Blue Degradation in the Presence of H_۲O_۲

Introduction: The discharge of colored industrial wastewater—especially organic thiazine dyes, which are toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic—poses serious environmental and health problems. Methylene blue, a common dye, is toxic and non-biodegradable, and thus requires effective removal methods.Methods: This study designed and evaluated a photocatalytic degradation system based on Fe۲O۳@CuO nanoparticles for methylene blue removal. The nanoparticles were synthesized via chemical precipitation and characterized using FT-IR, XRD, FESEM, TEM, EDS, and DLS. Their photocatalytic performance was evaluated under sunlight irradiation in a batch system, investigating the effects of catalyst dosage, H۲O۲ concentration, and solution pH. Dye concentration was measured using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer.Results: Characterization confirmed the formation of nanoparticles with irregular geometric shapes and uniform distribution. The highest degradation efficiency (۹۹.۶%) was achieved within ۴۵ minutes at a pH of ۹, a catalyst dosage of ۱۵۰ mg/L, and ۶% H۲O۲. The lowest destruction efficiency (۱۵.۳%) occurred in the absence of hydrogen peroxide. Efficiency increased with higher H۲O۲ and catalyst doses due to increased radical generation. The nanocatalyst showed excellent reproducibility, retaining ۹۷.۱% of its initial efficiency after five cycles with no structural changes.Conclusion: Fe۲O۳@CuO nanoparticles demonstrated high efficiency in the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under sunlight. The use of non-toxic, readily available materials, excellent reusability, and a free light source makes this process an economically viable and practical method for treating dye-containing effluents.

کلیدواژه ها:

Fe۲O۳@CuO ، Core-shell ، colored pollutants ، Nanoparticles ، Photocatalysis