Bimetallic CuPd alloy nanoparticles decorated ZnO nanosheets with enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange dye

Photocatalytic technology is widely explored as a promising alternative for water treatments. However, low photocatalytic efficiency and selectivity usually limit its practical application. Herein, we develop the synthesis of two-dimensional zinc oxide (ZnO) nanosheets decorated with copper (Cu)-palladium (Pd) bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) for the degradation of organic dyes in an aqueous solution. Compared to pristine ZnO nanosheets, the prepared CuPd/ZnO composites exhibited superior performance for the pho-tocatalytic degradation of organic dyes under visible-light irradiation. The remarkable improvement of degradation activity was attributable to the enhanced separation and transfer efficiency of photogener-ated charge carriers. The highest catalytic efficiency of CuPd/ZnO nanocomposite with the CuPd content of 0.5 wt% exhibited 95.3% removal of methyl orange (MO) (40 mg/L) within 45 min. From the experi-mental data, we believe this study provides a new avenue for the design and fabrication of high-performance photocatalysts capable of water treatments.(c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Photocatalytic technology is a promising alternative for water treatments, but its practical application is limited by low efficiency and selectivity. In this study, two-dimensional zinc oxide nanosheets decorated with copper-palladium bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized for the degradation of organic dyes in water. The prepared composites showed superior photocatalytic performance compared to pristine ZnO nanosheets under visible-light irradiation, attributed to enhanced separation and transfer efficiency of charge carriers. The highest catalytic efficiency was achieved by CuPd/ZnO nanocomposite with 0.5 wt% CuPd, achieving 95.3% removal of methyl orange within 45 minutes. This study provides a new avenue for the design and fabrication of high-performance photocatalysts for water treatments.