Copper oxide nanoparticles-decorated cellulose acetate: Eco-friendly catalysts for reduction of toxic organic dyes in aqueous media

In this study, we aimed to gain insight into the potential of catalytic reduction using copper oxide nanoparticles decorated cellulose acetate as a biosupport (CuxO@CA) for the removal of specific pollutants. The prepared catalyst was submitted to a series of spectroscopy techniques for characterization purposes. The results of the catalytic tests on methylene orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) solutions suggest that the elimination efficiency may be influenced by several factors, including the catalyst dose and the concentration of the pollutant. Kinetic studies were also carried out, and the value of the rate constant Kapp derived from the pseudo-first-order kinetics was found to be highest for the prepared catalyst in a very short reaction time. The CuxO@CA catalyst was tested on a combination of MO/MB dyes, and the results indicated that it exhibited the highest catalytic activity in reducing and degrading these organic dyes in aqueous solutions, which is an encouraging outcome. Furthermore, the prepared catalyst demonstrated promising catalytic performance and exhibited the potential for recycling multiple times without significant loss of activity, which could be advantageous for large-scale production and practical use in water treatment. [Display omitted]