Effective Adsorption and Photocatalytic Degradation of Toluidine Blue using Eco-Friendly Composite: A Comparative Study

Copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using powder of bamboo leaves and its composite was prepared with graphite powder. This composite was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). It was used for adsorption and degradation of Toluidine blue. The effect of operating parameter such as pH, contact time, amount of composite, concentration of dye and light intensity was observed to achieve optimum condition. Trapping experiments indicated that superoxide radical (O2.-) is the active oxidizing species in photocatalytic degradation while electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding played a crucial role in the adsorption process. It was observed that photocatalytic degradation achieved a higher degradation efficiency of 63.19% as compared to 42.19% adsorption. It was concluded that photocatalytic degradation was more effective than adsorption for removing toluidine blue.