In situ synthesis of oxygen-deficient Cu2O on eggshell membranes and study of its efficient photocatalytic activity

The conversion of biological waste into high-value-added materials is of great significance for environmental protection and sustainable economic development. Metal nanoparticles should be used in the field of photo -catalysis because of their excellent photocatalytic activity and wide selectivity. Green and sustainable carriers play an important role in improving the utilization and recycling of nanoparticles. In this work, we synthesized eggshell membrane (ESM)/ cuprous oxide biomass catalysts from biological eggshell membranes using a bio-template method, and the biomass catalysts showed an interwoven network structure of uniformly loaded nanoparticles. The results showed that these biomass composites had good photocatalytic activity (kapp = 0.0392 min-1) for methylene blue (MB), and the eggshell membranes acted as a sacrificial agent during the catalytic process, which effectively inhibited the compounding rate of photogenerated electrons. The photo -degradation rate reached about 97 % in 1 h when the adsorbent dosage was 0.025 g, and the dye concentration was 30 mg/L. The present work is important for realizing the integration of biomaterials science and nanoscience.

Automated summary

The conversion of biological waste into high-value-added materials is vital for environmental protection and sustainable economic development. Metal nanoparticles, with their excellent photocatalytic activity and wide selectivity, should be utilized in photo-catalysis. Green and sustainable carriers are crucial for improving the utilization and recycling of nanoparticles. In this study, we synthesized eggshell membrane (ESM)/ cuprous oxide biomass catalysts, which showed a network structure of uniformly loaded nanoparticles. The biomass composites exhibited good photocatalytic activity for methylene blue degradation, and the eggshell membranes acted as sacrificial agents, effectively inhibiting the accumulation of photogenerated electrons. The integration of biomaterials science and nanoscience is important in this work.