Usman Niaz, M.S. Aziz, Ayesha Jamil, Retna Apsari, M. Bilal Tahir, Nurul Hidayat, M.S. Salleh
Water pollution caused by organic dyes, particularly methylene blue (MB), poses a significant environmental challenge. This study investigates the novel application of laser-enhanced photodegradation of MB using cerium oxide (CeO2) nanostructures (NSs) as a semiconductor photocatalyst. CeO2 NSs were synthesized via a precipitation method employing Ce(NO3)3·6H2O and NaOH at room temperature, followed by calcination at 600°C for 2 hours. The structure of the CeO2 NSs was analysed using XRD, FTIR, EDX, SEM and FESEM. To our knowledge, for the first time, photocatalytic activity of CeO2 NSs under laser light irradiation was studied and contrasted with the UV light degradation. These results showed that laser induced photodegradation (12.11% in 1 hour) was much more effective than UV light degradation (4.89% in 1 hour). These improvements are due to the more better Ce3+/Ce4+ redox couple which helps in the production of reactive oxygen species that in turn increases the degradation of MB under laser. This research, therefore, aims at proposing an improved efficient method of removal of organic contaminants from the wastewater with an emphasis on the dye-contaminated industrial effluents. More studies should be conducted to enhance these strategies use in large scale in wastewater treatment. © 2025 Institute of Physics Publishing. All rights reserved.
Laser Centre, Ibnu Sina Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor, Skudai, 81310, Malaysia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor, Skudai, 81310, Malaysia; Department of Physics, Science Division, University of Education, Lahore, 54770, Pakistan; Department of Engineering, Faculty of Advanced Technology and Multidiscipline, Universitas Airlangga, Jl. Mulyorejo, Surabaya, 60115, Indonesia; Building Research Station, Communication and Works Department, Lahore, 54770, Pakistan; Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Airlangga University, Surabaya, 60115, Indonesia; Institute of Physics, Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology (KFUEIT), Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan; Center of Advanced Materials for Renewable Energy, Universitas Negeri Malang, Jl. Semarang, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Jl. Semarang 5, Malang, 65145, Indonesia
