Asrianti B.T. Sunardi, Fadhillah Choirunnisa, Atika S.P. Dewi, Hendri Widiyandari, Yayuk Astuti, Osi Arutanti, Ali A. Salim, Nandang Mufti
Complex molecules in methylene orange (MO) dye-contaminated water are carcinogenic and mutagenic risks to human health. Carbon quantum dot surface-decorated titanium dioxide nanocomposites (CQD-TiO2 NCs) were synthesized via a sustainable hydrothermal method at concentrations of 1.5–3 mL. These NCs exhibits superior electron transfer, light harvesting capabilities, high stability, easy modification, optical characteristics, and photocatalytic properties. The surface morphology, porosity, physiochemical, and optical features of these CQD-TiO2 NCs were characterized using TEM, UV–Vis, PL, BET, BJH micromeritics, pHzpc, and photoelectrochemical measurements. The prepared NCs were evaluated against the photocatalytic degradation of MO dye molecules using a solar simulator system. The TEM revealed ultra-sensitive and tiny CQD materials with graphite phases ranging from 5 to 10 nm and attached to the octahedron surface of TiO2 NCs. The PL analysis observed three distinct emission peaks in the visible region, attributed to the near band edge, interstitial (Tii), and oxygen vacancy (V0). The BET and BJH analyses were conducted to determine the N2 adsorption-desorption surface area and mesoporous structure with pore sizes ranging from 2 to 50 nm. These NCs showed excellent photocatalytic performance, effectively degrading MO up to 99.00 % in a 3 mL variation, indicating that they could be a great candidate for photocatalytic purification of wastewater containing MO dyes. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.
Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang, Jl. Semarang No. 5, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36 A, Central Java, Surakarta, 57126, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Universitas Diponegoro, Jl. Prof. Soedharto, SH. Tembalang, Semarang, 50275, Indonesia; Research Center for Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia; Laser Center & Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia; Centre of Advanced Materials for Renewable Energy, Universitas Negeri Malang, Jl. Semarang No. 5, Malang, 65145, Indonesia
