Bio-inspired synthesis of Co-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue

Environmental pollution by organic dyes poses a significant global threat, necessitating sustainable remediation techniques. This study reports the green synthesis of a novel cobalt-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposite using Hagenia abyssinica leaf extract as a bioreducing and capping agent, offering an eco-...

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Main Authors: Samrawit Mekonen Yimer, Ashenafi Zeleke Melaku
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Results in Chemistry
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211715625005181
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author Samrawit Mekonen Yimer
Ashenafi Zeleke Melaku
author_facet Samrawit Mekonen Yimer
Ashenafi Zeleke Melaku
author_sort Samrawit Mekonen Yimer
collection DOAJ
description Environmental pollution by organic dyes poses a significant global threat, necessitating sustainable remediation techniques. This study reports the green synthesis of a novel cobalt-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposite using Hagenia abyssinica leaf extract as a bioreducing and capping agent, offering an eco-friendly alternative to traditional methods. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDX, and UV–Vis DRS. XRD confirmed the successful formation of Co-doped CuO/ZnO with distinct peaks indicating cobalt incorporation and enhanced crystallinity. Confirmation of cobalt integration into the CuO/ZnO nanocomposite is provided by two key observations: a new peak appearing around 31∘, and shifts in the peak positions at both 29.4∘ and 31.7∘. These changes also point to an alteration in the crystallinity of the material. Additionally, the distinctive metal (Co, Cu, Zn)‑oxygen stretching peaks are visible in the FT-IR spectrum between 500 and 900 nm wavelengths. FTIR analysis verified the role of phytochemicals in stabilization, while SEM-EDX result revealed uniformly distributed elements of nanoparticles. Optical properties from UV–Vis DRS spectrum showed that cobalt doping effectively reduced the bandgap of CuO/ZnO, enabling efficient sunlight absorption. Photocatalytic degradation tests demonstrated that the Co-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposite significantly enhanced the degradation of methyl blue dye. Notably 2 mg of 0.05 %Co-5 %CuO/ZnO exhibited superior activity (93.82 % degradation of 10 mg MB in 80 min) compared to pristine ZnO (57.2 %), attributed to reduced electron-hole recombination and optimized bandgap. This bio-mediated approach offers a promising, sustainable solution for industrial wastewater treatment.
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spelling doaj-art-ded8de0e62f345b8b7941a79e39be4d32025-08-20T03:23:22ZengElsevierResults in Chemistry2211-71562025-07-011610253510.1016/j.rechem.2025.102535Bio-inspired synthesis of Co-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methyl blueSamrawit Mekonen Yimer0Ashenafi Zeleke Melaku1Department of Chemistry, Natural and Computational Science, Woldia University, EthiopiaCorresponding author.; Department of Chemistry, Natural and Computational Science, Woldia University, EthiopiaEnvironmental pollution by organic dyes poses a significant global threat, necessitating sustainable remediation techniques. This study reports the green synthesis of a novel cobalt-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposite using Hagenia abyssinica leaf extract as a bioreducing and capping agent, offering an eco-friendly alternative to traditional methods. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDX, and UV–Vis DRS. XRD confirmed the successful formation of Co-doped CuO/ZnO with distinct peaks indicating cobalt incorporation and enhanced crystallinity. Confirmation of cobalt integration into the CuO/ZnO nanocomposite is provided by two key observations: a new peak appearing around 31∘, and shifts in the peak positions at both 29.4∘ and 31.7∘. These changes also point to an alteration in the crystallinity of the material. Additionally, the distinctive metal (Co, Cu, Zn)‑oxygen stretching peaks are visible in the FT-IR spectrum between 500 and 900 nm wavelengths. FTIR analysis verified the role of phytochemicals in stabilization, while SEM-EDX result revealed uniformly distributed elements of nanoparticles. Optical properties from UV–Vis DRS spectrum showed that cobalt doping effectively reduced the bandgap of CuO/ZnO, enabling efficient sunlight absorption. Photocatalytic degradation tests demonstrated that the Co-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposite significantly enhanced the degradation of methyl blue dye. Notably 2 mg of 0.05 %Co-5 %CuO/ZnO exhibited superior activity (93.82 % degradation of 10 mg MB in 80 min) compared to pristine ZnO (57.2 %), attributed to reduced electron-hole recombination and optimized bandgap. This bio-mediated approach offers a promising, sustainable solution for industrial wastewater treatment.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211715625005181Green synthesisNanocompositePhotocatalyticMB dyeEnvironmental remediation
spellingShingle Samrawit Mekonen Yimer
Ashenafi Zeleke Melaku
Bio-inspired synthesis of Co-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue
Results in Chemistry
Green synthesis
Nanocomposite
Photocatalytic
MB dye
Environmental remediation
title Bio-inspired synthesis of Co-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue
title_full Bio-inspired synthesis of Co-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue
title_fullStr Bio-inspired synthesis of Co-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue
title_full_unstemmed Bio-inspired synthesis of Co-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue
title_short Bio-inspired synthesis of Co-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue
title_sort bio inspired synthesis of co doped cuo zno nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue
topic Green synthesis
Nanocomposite
Photocatalytic
MB dye
Environmental remediation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211715625005181
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