Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue using aluminum and cerium co-doped ZnO nanocomposite

S. Ameen; R. Fatima; A. A. Kadhem; T. Abbas; M. A. Khan; A. Abbas; I. Hussain; N. Bano; Z. Faraji Rad; A. S.S. Bilal

doi:10.1007/s13762-025-06683-z

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Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue using aluminum and cerium co-doped ZnO nanocomposite

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Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue using aluminum and cerium co-doped ZnO nanocomposite

S. Ameen, R. Fatima, A. A. Kadhem, T. Abbas, M. A. Khan, A. Abbas, I. Hussain, N. Bano, Z. Faraji Rad and A. S.S. Bilal

International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Vol.22, pp.16549-16558

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-025-06683-z

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Abstract

Charge separation

Co-doping

Methylene blue

Photocatalysis

Photocatalysis has emerged as an established and environmentally sustainable approach for degrading biological pollutants into less hazardous substances. In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods co-doped with aluminum and cerium were produced via a single-step hydrothermal technique. The aluminum and cerium co-doped zinc oxide (ACZn) nanocomposite was investigated for structural, morphological, optical, and charge transfer kinetics by using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopic techniques. The absorption spectra were perceived to be redshifted as a result of the increased absorption capacity of the ACZn-based photocatalyst due to the addition of Al and Ce. ACZn nanocomposite demonstrated a significantly enhanced photocatalytic efficiency (PE), achieving a 93% degradation of methylene blue (MB) under simulated solar irradiation, compared to CZn (89% PE), AZn (72% PE), and pristine ZnO (76% PE). This 22% improvement of ACZn relative to pristine ZnO was attributed to refined surface characteristics, decreased band gap energy, and enhanced charge separation efficiency, as demonstrated by kinetic analysis and photoluminescence investigations. Additional photocatalytic measurements disclosed several factors affecting the degradation process of methylene blue including photocatalyst dosage and initial dye concentration. Furthermore, the ACZn photocatalyst demonstrated a robust potential for environmental remediation applications by exhibiting superior reusability for multiple cycles without observing a noticeable decrease in photoactivity.

Details

Title: Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue using aluminum and cerium co-doped ZnO nanocomposite
Authors: S. Ameen - Tianjin University
R. Fatima - Bahauddin Zakariya University
A. A. Kadhem - University of Al-Qadisiyah
T. Abbas - National University of Science and Technology
M. A. Khan - COMSATS University Islamabad
A. Abbas - University of Engineering and Technology Lahore
I. Hussain - ETHICSS International Centre for Sustainability and Security (United Kingdom)
N. Bano - King Saud University
Z. Faraji Rad (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
A. S.S. Bilal - University of Engineering and Technology Taxila
Publication details: International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, Vol.22, pp.16549-16558
Publisher: Center for Environment and Energy Research and Studies (C E E R S)
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.1007/s13762-025-06683-z
ISSN: 1735-2630; 1735-1472
Copyright note: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991156023802621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Environmental Sciences