ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Enhancing Photocatalytic Degradation
of Methylene Blue Using ZnO/Carbon Dots
Nanocomposite Derived From Coffee Grounds
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Department of Physics, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB University),
Jl. Meranti, Gedung Wing S, Kampus IPB Dramaga, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
Submission date: 2019-12-09
Final revision date: 2020-02-23
Acceptance date: 2020-04-06
Online publication date: 2020-07-31
Publication date: 2020-10-05
Corresponding author
Akhiruddin Maddu
Department of Physics, Bogor Agricultural University, Jalan Meranti, Kampus Dramaga, 16680, Bogor, Indonesia
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(1):273-282
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ABSTRACT
In this article, we report the enhancement of the photocatalytic activity of ZnO/carbon dots
(CDs) nanocomposite in degrading methylene blue (MB) dye. Carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized
by a hydrothermal method utilizing coffee grounds as a carbon source. ZnO/CDs nanocomposite was
synthesized by a single-step and in-situ sonochemical process. The particle size of CDs measured by
dynamic light scattering (DLS) was found at about 7.7 nm. The result of X-ray diffraction analysis
confirmed that the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO nanoparticle has a small crystal size and the
lattice parameters decreasing due to CDs addition. The surface morphology images were taken by
scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows a very fine particle both for pure ZnO nanoparticle and
ZnO/CDs nanocomposite. The result of Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDXS) analysis
confirmed the presence of the carbon element in the ZnO/CDs nanocomposite indicated that the
nanocomposite has been formed. The result of the photocatalytic test showed that the ZnO/CDs
nanocomposite photocatalyst had significantly increased photocatalytic activity compared to the pure
ZnO nanoparticle photocatalyst. ZnO/CDs nanocomposite photocatalyst resulted in a photodegradation
rate three times higher than pure ZnO nanoparticle photocatalyst and nine times higher than the
photolysis treatment (without photocatalyst). Whereas the degradation efficiency of MB using ZnO/CDs
nanocomposite photocatalyst was twice higher than using pure ZnO nanoparticles and four times higher
than photolysis treatment.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.