Easy fabrication of PVA-CaO-CuO composite films for efficient photocatalyst: Towards distinct luminescence property, morphology and thermal stability

[Display omitted] •Simple fabrication of PVA-CuO-CaO composite films is reported.•PVA-CuO-CaO composites exhibited distinct morpholgical features.•PVA-CuO-CaO composites showed better thermal stability than PVA.•PVA-CuO-CaO exhibited superb photocatalytic ability toward MB removal than PVA. PVA-CuO-CaO composites in the film form were synthesized by loading the different compositions of metal oxides (CuO and CaO) ranging from 5 to 25 wt% via solvent casting approach. The applications of the prepared composites as photocatalysts were assessed together with the findings of photoluminescence (PL) characteristics, optical clarity, morphological features, and thermal properties. Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR), ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis), and photoluminescence (PL) spectra exposed the systematic and viableintegration of metal oxides (CuO-CaO) into the PVA matrix in PVA-CuO-CaO composites. The modifications of PL property of PVA-CuO-CaO composites were recognized rather than bare PVA. The prepared composite films exhibited excellent optical transparency irrespective of the addition of metal oxides. Both TGA and DSC data showed that the thermal properties of the composites could be significantly enhanced by incorporating CuO and CaO. DSC measurements demonstrated that the Tm of PVA-CuO-CaO composites is improved substantially (∼7 to 38 °C) than PVA. The distinct morphological structures of the obtained composites were identified with variations in CuO and CaO addition remaining diameter in the 30–200 nm range. The photocatalytic assessments revealed the better photocatalytic performance of PVA-CuO-CaO composites for removing methylene blue (MB) than bare PVA. By eliminating organic pollutants, the current study may provide a new perspective on the preparation of water-processable PVA-CuO-CaO photocatalysts for wastewater management.