A team of researchers, led by Professors Fei Yan and Ufana Riaz from NCCU, in collaboration with Professor Ray Schaak from PSU, have collaborated on innovative research published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry. Their work focuses on the synthesis and characterization of Zn- and Fe-doped CuO nanosheets, serving as photocatalysts for degrading persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as methylene blue and malachite green. Given the environmental and health challenges posed by POPs, the study explores visible photocatalysts as a promising solution, utilizing solar energy for pollutant breakdown under visible light. These nanosheets exhibited improved visible light absorption and reduced electron-hole recombination, resulting in a substantial enhancement in the photodegradation efficiency of methylene blue and malachite green. The findings present new opportunities for developing efficient visible photocatalysts for POPs remediation.
