Development of Al/CuO/ZnO/rGO Nanocomposites for Enhanced Photo catalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Wastewater Treatment

The continuous release of organic pollutants into water systems poses significant environmental and public health risks, highlighting the urgent need for efficient and eco-friendly wastewater treatment technologies. Conventional metal oxide-based photocatalysts are often limited by their narrow absorption of visible light and fast recombination of photo generated charge carriers, resulting in suboptimal performance. This study addresses these limitations by designing and evaluating Al-doped CuO/ZnO nanocomposites integrated with rGO, designed to improve photocatalytic performance under visible light illumination. This research aims to develop an advanced photocatalyst that combines the structural benefits of ternary metal oxides with the superior conductivity and surface characteristics of rGO. Al/CuO/ZnO/rGO nanocomposites were synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The resulting materials were characterized using techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) which confirmed the successful formation of the Al/CuO/ZnO/rGO nanocomposite. UV-Visible spectroscopy indicated a narrowed optical band gap (~2.1 eV) and a strong absorption peak at 385 nm, suggesting improved light harvesting capabilities. Photocatalytic performance was assessed using methylene blue (MB) as a representative organic contaminant. The Al/CuO/ZnO/rGO nanocomposite (3 wt. %) achieved degradation efficiency of 95% within a reaction time of sixty minutes. under visible light, surpassing the 80% efficiency observed with the CuO/ZnO/rGO catalyst. This improvement is attributed to enhanced charge separation, lower recombination rates, and increased reactive surface area. This study introduces a novel, scalable photocatalyst with strong potential for practical wastewater treatment, contributing to the advancement of sustainable environmental remediation technologies.