Tuned Photodegradation Efficiency of Bimetallic Copper-Iron Oxide Catalysts via Precursor Stoichiometry Control for Water Decontamination

Inadequate handling and disposal of contaminated industrial waste significantly contribute to environmental pollution. The presence of pollutants, including dyes, in wastewater necessitates the development of innovative remediation techniques. Metal oxide-catalyzed photodegradation capitalizes on the capacity of a dye to absorb light energy, offering a rapid method to break down the dye into less harmful, colorless byproducts. In this work, bimetallic copper-iron oxides with various copper to iron were synthesized for the photodegradation of fuchsine. The photocatalysts were prepared through oxalate precipitation followed by thermal decomposition. Structural analysis revealed a MOF-like structure of the bimetallic oxalate precursors. Thermal decomposition of the oxalates yielded photocatalytic bimetallic copper-iron oxides. Photodegradation studies demonstrated that the addition of copper-iron oxides accelerated the degradation of fuchsine and a higher concentration of CuO enhances the performance of the photocatalyst. Notably, the copper-iron oxide with a 1:1 (CuFe) ratio proved to be the most effective catalyst for the photodegradation of fuchsine. Furthermore, the photodegradation of fuchsine conforms to a pseudo-first order model and exhibits characteristics of a first-order reaction. Our findings emphasize that simple and high-efficiency bimetallic oxide catalysts can be used for water decontamination applications.