A novel Cu–Al LDH/g-C3N4 Z-scheme photocatalyst for environmental remediation of cresol red
Abstract Dye pollution from industrial effluents poses a significant threat to aquatic environments, necessitating the development of efficient and reusable photocatalysts for wastewater treatment. Among various approaches, constructing heterojunction nanocomposites has shown promise in enhancing ph...
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| Format: | Article |
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Springer
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Discover Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-025-07438-8 |
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| author | Alaka Rath Pratyush Kumar Sahu Aslisha Champati Abanti Pradhan Ashish Madhual Pravat Manjari Mishra Brundabana Naik |
| author_facet | Alaka Rath Pratyush Kumar Sahu Aslisha Champati Abanti Pradhan Ashish Madhual Pravat Manjari Mishra Brundabana Naik |
| author_sort | Alaka Rath |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Dye pollution from industrial effluents poses a significant threat to aquatic environments, necessitating the development of efficient and reusable photocatalysts for wastewater treatment. Among various approaches, constructing heterojunction nanocomposites has shown promise in enhancing photocatalytic performance due to improved charge separation and increased reactive species generation. In this study, a copper–aluminium layered double hydroxides-graphitic carbon nitrides nanocomposite (LDH/GCN) synthesized through hydrothermal method using copper–aluminium layered double hydroxide (Cu–Al LDH) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). In this nanocomposite, the successful integration of Cu–Al LDH with g-C3N4 was confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The morphological studies demonstrate a 1D/2D hybrid nanostructure with noodle like one dimensional nanostructure of LDH and two dimensional nanosheets of g-C3N4. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS) and photoluminescence (PL) analysis confirms the enriched light absorption and effective separation of photogenerated charge. Photocatalytic activity was evaluated by monitoring the degradation of cresol red, a synthetic anionic dye under visible light irradiation. The LDH/GCN nanocomposite exhibited superior photocatalytic performance, achieving 97% degradation of cresol red within 90 min, compared to the pristine Cu–Al LDH and g-C3N4 of 74% and 69% respectively. This enhanced activity is attributed to the synergistic interaction between Cu–Al LDH and g-C3N4, which facilitated efficient charge separation and increased production of reactive intermediate species. The effects of initial dye concentration, catalyst dosage, and pH were systematically investigated to determine the optimal operational conditions. The synergistic effect is due to higher crystallinity of nanocomposite, 1D/2D interaction with interfacial surface area and Z-scheme heterojunction. The LDH/GCN composite demonstrated excellent stability and reusability exhibiting promising potential for practical application in wastewater treatment. Graphical abstract |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5c228f3e4fae4e098c747d0a56496a3d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 3004-9261 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Discover Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-5c228f3e4fae4e098c747d0a56496a3d2025-08-20T03:46:24ZengSpringerDiscover Applied Sciences3004-92612025-07-017812310.1007/s42452-025-07438-8A novel Cu–Al LDH/g-C3N4 Z-scheme photocatalyst for environmental remediation of cresol redAlaka Rath0Pratyush Kumar Sahu1Aslisha Champati2Abanti Pradhan3Ashish Madhual4Pravat Manjari Mishra5Brundabana Naik6Department of Chemistry, ITER, Siksha O’ Anusandhan, Deemed to Be UniversityDepartment of Chemistry, ITER, Siksha O’ Anusandhan, Deemed to Be UniversityDepartment of Chemistry, ITER, Siksha O’ Anusandhan, Deemed to Be UniversityDepartment of Chemistry, ITER, Siksha O’ Anusandhan, Deemed to Be UniversityEnvironment & Sustainability Department, CSIR-Institute of Materials and Minerals TechnologyEnvironment & Sustainability Department, CSIR-Institute of Materials and Minerals TechnologyDepartment of Chemistry, ITER, Siksha O’ Anusandhan, Deemed to Be UniversityAbstract Dye pollution from industrial effluents poses a significant threat to aquatic environments, necessitating the development of efficient and reusable photocatalysts for wastewater treatment. Among various approaches, constructing heterojunction nanocomposites has shown promise in enhancing photocatalytic performance due to improved charge separation and increased reactive species generation. In this study, a copper–aluminium layered double hydroxides-graphitic carbon nitrides nanocomposite (LDH/GCN) synthesized through hydrothermal method using copper–aluminium layered double hydroxide (Cu–Al LDH) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). In this nanocomposite, the successful integration of Cu–Al LDH with g-C3N4 was confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The morphological studies demonstrate a 1D/2D hybrid nanostructure with noodle like one dimensional nanostructure of LDH and two dimensional nanosheets of g-C3N4. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS) and photoluminescence (PL) analysis confirms the enriched light absorption and effective separation of photogenerated charge. Photocatalytic activity was evaluated by monitoring the degradation of cresol red, a synthetic anionic dye under visible light irradiation. The LDH/GCN nanocomposite exhibited superior photocatalytic performance, achieving 97% degradation of cresol red within 90 min, compared to the pristine Cu–Al LDH and g-C3N4 of 74% and 69% respectively. This enhanced activity is attributed to the synergistic interaction between Cu–Al LDH and g-C3N4, which facilitated efficient charge separation and increased production of reactive intermediate species. The effects of initial dye concentration, catalyst dosage, and pH were systematically investigated to determine the optimal operational conditions. The synergistic effect is due to higher crystallinity of nanocomposite, 1D/2D interaction with interfacial surface area and Z-scheme heterojunction. The LDH/GCN composite demonstrated excellent stability and reusability exhibiting promising potential for practical application in wastewater treatment. Graphical abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-025-07438-8PhotocatalysisCu–Al LDH/g-C3N4Cresol redPhotodegradationDye degradation |
| spellingShingle | Alaka Rath Pratyush Kumar Sahu Aslisha Champati Abanti Pradhan Ashish Madhual Pravat Manjari Mishra Brundabana Naik A novel Cu–Al LDH/g-C3N4 Z-scheme photocatalyst for environmental remediation of cresol red Discover Applied Sciences Photocatalysis Cu–Al LDH/g-C3N4 Cresol red Photodegradation Dye degradation |
| title | A novel Cu–Al LDH/g-C3N4 Z-scheme photocatalyst for environmental remediation of cresol red |
| title_full | A novel Cu–Al LDH/g-C3N4 Z-scheme photocatalyst for environmental remediation of cresol red |
| title_fullStr | A novel Cu–Al LDH/g-C3N4 Z-scheme photocatalyst for environmental remediation of cresol red |
| title_full_unstemmed | A novel Cu–Al LDH/g-C3N4 Z-scheme photocatalyst for environmental remediation of cresol red |
| title_short | A novel Cu–Al LDH/g-C3N4 Z-scheme photocatalyst for environmental remediation of cresol red |
| title_sort | novel cu al ldh g c3n4 z scheme photocatalyst for environmental remediation of cresol red |
| topic | Photocatalysis Cu–Al LDH/g-C3N4 Cresol red Photodegradation Dye degradation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-025-07438-8 |
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