Surfactant-assisted synthesis of Cu-Doped Co3O4@carbon nano flake nanocomposites for effective photocatalytic breakdown of brilliant green dye under UV irradiation

Abstract

This study explores the fabrication, characterization, and photodegradation efficiency of Cu-doped Co₃O₄ (0–50 mol%) incorporated into a carbon nano flake (CNF) composite for the removal of brilliant green dye. The synthesized materials have been analyzed using XRD, SEM-EDAX, UV-DRS, and XPS, confirming an FCC crystalline structure with irregular spherical grains. Under UV light irradiation, Cu-doped Co₃O₄and Cu-doped Co₃O₄@CNF achieved 91.8% and 98.4% dye removal within 40 min. The improved efficiency is attributed to the effective role of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles in reducing electron-hole recombination, enhancing photocatalytic activity and promoting the degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater treatment applications.