Novel AlCo2O4/MWCNTs Nanocomposites for Efficient Degradation of Reactive Yellow 160 Dye: Characterization, Photocatalytic Efficiency, and Reusability

Junaid Ahmad; Amir Ikhlaq; Muhammad Raashid; Uzma Ikhlaq; Umair Yaqub Qazi; Hafiz Tariq Masood; Tousif Hussain; Mohsin Kazmi; Naveed Ramzan; Asma Naeem; Ashraf Aly Hassan; Fei Qi; Rahat Javaid

doi:10.3390/catal15020154

Novel AlCo₂O₄/MWCNTs Nanocomposites for Efficient Degradation of Reactive Yellow 160 Dye: Characterization, Photocatalytic Efficiency, and Reusability

Junaid Ahmad, Amir Ikhlaq, Muhammad Raashid, Uzma Ikhlaq, Umair Yaqub Qazi, Hafiz Tariq Masood, Tousif Hussain, Mohsin Kazmi, Naveed Ramzan, Asma Naeem, Ashraf Aly Hassan, Fei Qi, Rahat Javaid

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to consider the decolorization efficiency of reactive yellow 160 (Ry-160) dye utilizing cobalt aluminum oxide (AlCo₂O₄)-anchored Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (AlCo₂O₄/MWCNTs) nanocomposites as catalysts for the first time in a photocatalytic process under natural sunlight irradiation. The compositional, morphological, and functional group analyses of AlCo₂O₄ and AlCo₂O₄/MWCNTs were performed by utilizing Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, respectively. A UV-Vis (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer was used to investigate degradation efficiency. The results exhibited a reduction in the optical bandgap for AlCo₂O₄/MWCNTs nanocomposites as catalysts from 1.5 to 1.3 eV compared with pure spinel AlCo₂O₄ nanocomposites. AlCo₂O₄/MWCNTs nanocomposites showed excellent photocatalytic behavior, and around 96% degradation of Ry-160 dye was observed in just 20 min under natural sunlight, showing first-order kinetics with rate constant of 0.151 min⁻¹. The results exhibited outstanding stability and reusability for AlCo₂O₄/MWCNTs by maintaining more than 90% photocatalytic efficiency even after seven successive operational cycles. The betterment of the photocatalytic behavior of AlCo₂O₄/MWCNTs nanocomposites as compared to AlCo₂O₄ nanocomposites owes to the first-rate storage capacity of electrons in MWCNTs, due to which the catalyst became an excellent electron acceptor. Furthermore, the permeable structure of MWCNTs results in a greater surface area leading to the onset of more active sites, and, in turn, it also boosts conductivity and reduces the formation of agglomerates on the surface of catalysts, which inhibits e−/h⁺ pair recombination. Concisely, the synthesis of a novel AlCo₂O₄/MWCNTs catalyst with excellent and fast photocatalytic activity was the aim of this study.

Original language	English
Article number	154
Journal	Catalysts
Volume	15
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15020154
Publication status	Published - Feb 2025

Keywords

advanced oxidation process
carbon nanotubes
cobalt aluminum oxide
visible photocatalysis
wastewater treatment
yellow 160 dye

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Catalysis
General Environmental Science
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

Access to Document

10.3390/catal15020154

Cite this

Ahmad, J., Ikhlaq, A., Raashid, M., Ikhlaq, U., Qazi, U. Y., Masood, H. T., Hussain, T., Kazmi, M., Ramzan, N., Naeem, A., Aly Hassan, A., Qi, F., & Javaid, R. (2025). Novel AlCo₂O₄/MWCNTs Nanocomposites for Efficient Degradation of Reactive Yellow 160 Dye: Characterization, Photocatalytic Efficiency, and Reusability. Catalysts, 15(2), Article 154. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15020154

Ahmad, J, Ikhlaq, A, Raashid, M, Ikhlaq, U, Qazi, UY, Masood, HT, Hussain, T, Kazmi, M, Ramzan, N, Naeem, A, Aly Hassan, A, Qi, F & Javaid, R 2025, 'Novel AlCo₂O₄/MWCNTs Nanocomposites for Efficient Degradation of Reactive Yellow 160 Dye: Characterization, Photocatalytic Efficiency, and Reusability', Catalysts, vol. 15, no. 2, 154. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15020154

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title = "Novel AlCo2O4/MWCNTs Nanocomposites for Efficient Degradation of Reactive Yellow 160 Dye: Characterization, Photocatalytic Efficiency, and Reusability",

abstract = "The purpose of this work was to consider the decolorization efficiency of reactive yellow 160 (Ry-160) dye utilizing cobalt aluminum oxide (AlCo2O4)-anchored Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (AlCo2O4/MWCNTs) nanocomposites as catalysts for the first time in a photocatalytic process under natural sunlight irradiation. The compositional, morphological, and functional group analyses of AlCo2O4 and AlCo2O4/MWCNTs were performed by utilizing Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, respectively. A UV-Vis (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer was used to investigate degradation efficiency. The results exhibited a reduction in the optical bandgap for AlCo2O4/MWCNTs nanocomposites as catalysts from 1.5 to 1.3 eV compared with pure spinel AlCo2O4 nanocomposites. AlCo2O4/MWCNTs nanocomposites showed excellent photocatalytic behavior, and around 96\% degradation of Ry-160 dye was observed in just 20 min under natural sunlight, showing first-order kinetics with rate constant of 0.151 min−1. The results exhibited outstanding stability and reusability for AlCo2O4/MWCNTs by maintaining more than 90\% photocatalytic efficiency even after seven successive operational cycles. The betterment of the photocatalytic behavior of AlCo2O4/MWCNTs nanocomposites as compared to AlCo2O4 nanocomposites owes to the first-rate storage capacity of electrons in MWCNTs, due to which the catalyst became an excellent electron acceptor. Furthermore, the permeable structure of MWCNTs results in a greater surface area leading to the onset of more active sites, and, in turn, it also boosts conductivity and reduces the formation of agglomerates on the surface of catalysts, which inhibits e−/h+ pair recombination. Concisely, the synthesis of a novel AlCo2O4/MWCNTs catalyst with excellent and fast photocatalytic activity was the aim of this study.",

keywords = "advanced oxidation process, carbon nanotubes, cobalt aluminum oxide, visible photocatalysis, wastewater treatment, yellow 160 dye",

author = "Junaid Ahmad and Amir Ikhlaq and Muhammad Raashid and Uzma Ikhlaq and Qazi, \{Umair Yaqub\} and Masood, \{Hafiz Tariq\} and Tousif Hussain and Mohsin Kazmi and Naveed Ramzan and Asma Naeem and \{Aly Hassan\}, Ashraf and Fei Qi and Rahat Javaid",

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doi = "10.3390/catal15020154",

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AU - Ahmad, Junaid

AU - Ikhlaq, Amir

AU - Raashid, Muhammad

AU - Ikhlaq, Uzma

AU - Qazi, Umair Yaqub

AU - Masood, Hafiz Tariq

AU - Hussain, Tousif

AU - Kazmi, Mohsin

AU - Ramzan, Naveed

AU - Naeem, Asma

AU - Aly Hassan, Ashraf

AU - Qi, Fei

AU - Javaid, Rahat

PY - 2025/2

Y1 - 2025/2

N2 - The purpose of this work was to consider the decolorization efficiency of reactive yellow 160 (Ry-160) dye utilizing cobalt aluminum oxide (AlCo2O4)-anchored Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (AlCo2O4/MWCNTs) nanocomposites as catalysts for the first time in a photocatalytic process under natural sunlight irradiation. The compositional, morphological, and functional group analyses of AlCo2O4 and AlCo2O4/MWCNTs were performed by utilizing Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, respectively. A UV-Vis (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer was used to investigate degradation efficiency. The results exhibited a reduction in the optical bandgap for AlCo2O4/MWCNTs nanocomposites as catalysts from 1.5 to 1.3 eV compared with pure spinel AlCo2O4 nanocomposites. AlCo2O4/MWCNTs nanocomposites showed excellent photocatalytic behavior, and around 96% degradation of Ry-160 dye was observed in just 20 min under natural sunlight, showing first-order kinetics with rate constant of 0.151 min−1. The results exhibited outstanding stability and reusability for AlCo2O4/MWCNTs by maintaining more than 90% photocatalytic efficiency even after seven successive operational cycles. The betterment of the photocatalytic behavior of AlCo2O4/MWCNTs nanocomposites as compared to AlCo2O4 nanocomposites owes to the first-rate storage capacity of electrons in MWCNTs, due to which the catalyst became an excellent electron acceptor. Furthermore, the permeable structure of MWCNTs results in a greater surface area leading to the onset of more active sites, and, in turn, it also boosts conductivity and reduces the formation of agglomerates on the surface of catalysts, which inhibits e−/h+ pair recombination. Concisely, the synthesis of a novel AlCo2O4/MWCNTs catalyst with excellent and fast photocatalytic activity was the aim of this study.

AB - The purpose of this work was to consider the decolorization efficiency of reactive yellow 160 (Ry-160) dye utilizing cobalt aluminum oxide (AlCo2O4)-anchored Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (AlCo2O4/MWCNTs) nanocomposites as catalysts for the first time in a photocatalytic process under natural sunlight irradiation. The compositional, morphological, and functional group analyses of AlCo2O4 and AlCo2O4/MWCNTs were performed by utilizing Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, respectively. A UV-Vis (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer was used to investigate degradation efficiency. The results exhibited a reduction in the optical bandgap for AlCo2O4/MWCNTs nanocomposites as catalysts from 1.5 to 1.3 eV compared with pure spinel AlCo2O4 nanocomposites. AlCo2O4/MWCNTs nanocomposites showed excellent photocatalytic behavior, and around 96% degradation of Ry-160 dye was observed in just 20 min under natural sunlight, showing first-order kinetics with rate constant of 0.151 min−1. The results exhibited outstanding stability and reusability for AlCo2O4/MWCNTs by maintaining more than 90% photocatalytic efficiency even after seven successive operational cycles. The betterment of the photocatalytic behavior of AlCo2O4/MWCNTs nanocomposites as compared to AlCo2O4 nanocomposites owes to the first-rate storage capacity of electrons in MWCNTs, due to which the catalyst became an excellent electron acceptor. Furthermore, the permeable structure of MWCNTs results in a greater surface area leading to the onset of more active sites, and, in turn, it also boosts conductivity and reduces the formation of agglomerates on the surface of catalysts, which inhibits e−/h+ pair recombination. Concisely, the synthesis of a novel AlCo2O4/MWCNTs catalyst with excellent and fast photocatalytic activity was the aim of this study.

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KW - wastewater treatment

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