Novel CuCr2O4 embedded CuO nanocomposites for efficient photodegradation of organic dyes

Novel photocatalyst based on CuO–CuCr 2 O 4 nanocomposites was synthesized for different Cr 3+ concentration by reflux condensation method, and their photocatalytic activity was evaluated by monitoring the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue dyes (MB) under UV light irradiation. Phase evolution by X-ray diffraction showed monoclinic CuO and tetragonal CuCr 2 O 4 as the components of the prepared nanocomposites. Morphological analysis by scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope revealed that the incorporation of Cr 3+ in CuO lattice alters the morphology of CuO from microsphere to cluster shape. Photoluminescence spectra of CuO–CuCr 2 O 4 nanocomposites exhibited reduced PL emissions compared to pure CuO, indicating the low recombination rate of photogenerated electrons and holes. As expected, the CuCr 2 O 4 loaded CuO showed enhanced photocatalytic activity for MO and MB dyes, and the kinetic studies suggest that the degradation follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of CuO–CuCr 2 O 4 nanocomposites can be attributed to the presence of CuCr 2 O 4 as an electron acceptor, which improves the effective charge separation in CuO.