Facile synthesis of Y₂O₃/CuO nanocomposites for photodegradation of dyes/mixed dyes under UV- and visible light irradiation

Yttrium oxide/CuO nanocomposite with different concentrations of Y₂O₃ were synthesized by a combustion technique. The structural, morphology, and photocatalytic properties were investigated using X-ray diffraction, SEM and photodegradation studies respectively. Scanning electron microscopy images reveal the porous nanocomposite morphology with significant aggregation. The photocatalyst degraded both carmine and methylene blue (MB). An attempt was made to discover the optimal circumstances of degradation, including time of contact, H₂O₂ concentration, and light exposure. Under UV irradiation, 2.5% Y₂O₃ -CuO nanocomposite demonstrated optimum photocatalytic efficiency of up to 55.68% in 70 min, with a rate constant of around 0.0079 min⁻¹ for MB. However, the photocatalytic efficiency of the 1% Y₂O₃/CuO nanocomposite increased to 87.95% in 70 min, with a rate constant of about 0.01826 min⁻¹ for carmine under UV irradiation. The findings demonstrated that UV light increased the reaction rate more than visible light. Furthermore, the research showed that carmine is degraded faster than MB. Cyclic experiments showed the Y₂O₃/CuO nanocomposite stability over repeated use. The photocatalytic reaction species trapping studies were performed with 1% Y₂O₃/CuO nanocomposite and UV light.