Facile, cost-effective, large-scale, reliable, and efficient fabrication of CuO as a potential catalyst for organic dyes removal from water

In recent decades, copper (II) oxide, also called cupric oxide (CuO) catalyst has shown promising results for decomposing organic water contaminants. This work aimed to optimize the different parameters linked with the fabrication of cupric oxide (CuO) to become feasible for industrial and commercial applications, meeting the technology-based treatment standards. The effects of calcination temperatures (CTs) and cooling rates (CRs) on the crystallographic properties were thoroughly studied employing Rietveld refinement and Statistical analysis. The phases are CuO > Cu2O > Cuo, with crystallite sizes <80 nm. The optimum conditions are 450 °C and air quench, yielding 98.5% cupric oxide [CuO] (54 nm) and 1.3% copper (I) oxide, also called cuprous oxide (Cu2O). The particle size distribution was found to follow the normal distribution at CT of 600 °C, indicating the maturity of the crystal system. The textural analysis exhibited Type-II adsorption. The preliminary catalytic activity results revealed high activity and room for enhancing process kinetics at mild conditions.