Effect of synthesis time on the photocatalytic performance of aggregated CuBO₂ microstructures for photo induced hazardous dye removal

The synthesis and characterization of novel p-type copper delafossite CuBO₂ microstructures were performed using an eco-friendly and cost-effective hydrothermal process. This study aims to explore the potential of these microstructures for environmental applications, specifically in the photo-induced degradation of hazardous dyes in wastewater. Various growth times were investigated to determine their influence on the morphology and photocatalytic performance of the synthesized microstructures. The characterization was carried out using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) studies and UV-Vis spectrophotometer were used to analyze the optical properties and compositional purity. The synthesized CuBO₂ microstructures demonstrated significant photocatalytic activity, with the optimal sample synthesized in 2 h exhibiting a high degradation rate constant of 0.263 min⁻¹, it was found that the materials synthesized for the ideal 2 h exhibited good photocatalytic activity. The results indicated that the photocatalytic activity of the CuBO₂ samples improved with increasing growth time, attributed to the enhanced crystallinity and larger surface area of the microstructures. Moreover, The findings suggest that these hierarchical microstructures have a strong potential for use in wastewater treatment applications. This work indicates that CuBO₂ can be a versatile and effective material for environmental remediation, highlighting its importance in developing sustainable solutions for pollution control.