Magnetic Lu2Cu2O5-based ceramic nanostructured materials fabricated by a simple and green approach for an effective photocatalytic degradation of organic contamination

Abstract

Designing and fabricating an efficient photocatalytic compound with an appropriate band gap to eliminate toxic contaminants is necessary to remediate the environment. This article presents the development of a new type of nanostructure, Lu₂Cu₂O₅–Lu₂O₃ nanocomposites to photo-catalytically degrade different kinds of toxic pollutants under sunlight. The oxide nanocomposites were fabricated via a quick and eco-friendly approach. In order to fabricate oxide nanostructures with appropriate features in terms of morphology and particle size, the effects of the kind of green reactant and its quantity were examined. Amylum was an appropriate and green reactant for the efficient synthesis of Lu₂Cu₂O₅–Lu₂O₃ nanobundles with the most organized morphology. The features of Lu₂Cu₂O₅-based nanostructures were carefully investigated utilizing multiple characterization methods. Then, the catalytic role of the fabricated nanobundles was evaluated for the removal of various kinds of toxic contaminants. The effects of the quantity of photocatalytic nanostructure, the concentration of the contaminant compound, and the type of light source in the catalytic degradation process were screened. The findings of this research demonstrated that utilizing 0.05 g of Lu₂Cu₂O₅–Lu₂O₃ nanobundles, 98.5% of the contaminant with a concentration of 10 ppm can be degraded in 2 h under ultraviolet light irradiation. The experimental results also certified that, during the photocatalytic pathway, superoxide radicals play a meaningful role in the elimination of toxic pollutants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the fabrication of Lu₂Cu₂O₅–Lu₂O₃ nanocomposite through a facile and eco-friendly approach and its photocatalytic efficiency.