Boosting ultraviolet-induced photocatalytic disintegration of hazardous R6G effluent through ratio tailoring of WZ-CdS/CuO synergistic heterostructure for wastewater remediation

This study focuses on optimizing the ratio of WZ-CdS/CuO synergistic heterostructure for wastewater remediation, aiming to enhance ultraviolet-induced photocatalytic disintegration of hazardous R6G effluent. The WZ-CdS/CuO binary heterostructures were synthesized through the precipitation-impregnation approach by varying the WZ-CdS and CuO ratio. SEM images reveal the presence of WZ-CdS granules and CuO nanofibers, and the close proximity between them increases as the CuO content rises. The XRD analysis shows that the initial phases of WZ-CdS and CuO coexist in the WZ-CdS/CuO heterostructure, and the peak strength is directly correlated to the ratio content of each component. EDS evidences the elemental ratio presence with no impurities traced. The FTIR spectra reveal the coexistence of WZ-CdS and CuO that exhibit a synergistic band structure in the lower wavenumber region. The optical absorbance denotes that when the CuO content rises, the absorption increases with the shrinkage of the bandgap, which is beneficial for charge carrier transition during photocatalytic reactions. The degradation efficiency and rate constant of WZ-CdS/CuO significantly improved in the reduction of R6G dye pollutant under UV exposure, while these parameters enhanced with increased CuO proportion and catalyst dosage. The recyclability test proves that the catalysts are reusable and beneficial for future wastewater remediation.