Synthesis of a Thin Film of CuO/MgO/PVC Nanocomposites for Photocatalytic Applications

This study investigates the effect of a combination of copper and magnesium oxide nanoparticles embedded in a Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix on photocatalytic activity. A thin film of CuO/MgO/PVC nanocomposites (NCs) was synthesized using the sol-gel route. Different weight percentages of CuO/MgO nanocomposites (5% and 15%) incorporated in the PVC matrix were deposited on glass strips using the spin coating method. The characterization of these thin films were carried out by a series of analytical and spectroscopic tools including PXRD, AFM, UV-Vis, and FTIR spectra analysis. The bandgap energy of MgO/PVC significantly reduced from 4.00 eV to 3.77 eV in 15% CuO/MgO/PVC NCs. This study also demonstrates the high ability of CuO/MgO/PVC thin films towards the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye with a proposed reaction mechanism. A comparative analysis for the photodegradation of MB dye revealed superior photocatalysis by 15%with a rate constant of 5.20 x 10-3 min-1 showing about 44% efficiency. The credit goes to the decrease in the band gap, enhancement in charge separation, and increase in surface area of thin film CuO/MgO/PVC NCs.