Cobalt aluminate/carbon nanocomposite via an auto-combustion method: an efficient photocatalyst for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes from aqueous media

ABSTRACT

Cobalt aluminate/carbon composite nanoparticles have been synthesised by utilising an auto-combustion method using glycine as an inexpensive fuel. The products were analysed by various techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), thermal analysis (TG), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results exhibited that the average crystallite size of the as-prepared CoAl₂O₄/C nanocomposite was ca. 26 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared catalyst was evaluated through the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under different conditions, and the photocatalytic degradation mechanism was proposed. The results indicated that CoAl₂O₄/C nanocomposite has a high catalytic performance for the photocatalytic degradation of MB dye under UV illumination in the presence of H₂O₂. The degradation efficiency reached 98.5% in 90 min with a degradation rate constant of 0.046 min⁻¹.

KEYWORDS:

• Cobalt aluminate/carbon nanocomposite
• photocatalysis
• hydrogen peroxide
• methylene blue dye

Acknowledgments

M.M. Aljohani and M.Y. Nassar are thankful to the Deanship of Scientific Research at the University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, for the financial support; grant No. S-1441-0029. The last three authors are also thankful to Benha University (http://www.bu.edu.eg/en/), Egypt, for support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research at University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia [grant No. S-1441-0029].