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Carboxymethyl cellulose stabilized copper nanocomposite CMC@Cu0 for the catalytic degradation of Congo red and crystal violet dyes

Rauf A, Usama S, Ahmad Z, Shafique M, ULLAH I, Zhan CH, Al-Awthan YS, Bahattab OS (2026)

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Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

Book Volume: 28

Article Number: 223

Journal Issue: 9

DOI: 10.1007/s11051-026-06740-9

Abstract

In this work, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was used as a support for zero-valent copper nanoparticles (Cu⁰ NPs), forming CMC@Cu⁰ nanocomposite hydrogel membranes. The catalysts were prepared through the ionotropic gelation of CMC in the presence of Cu²⁺ ions, followed by solvent casting, drying, swelling, and then chemical reduction with NaBH4 in aqueous solution. By using FTIR, XRD, and SEM, structural and morphological characteristics were studied. The catalytic performance of three different copper loadings (0.10 M, 0.05 M, and 0.025 M CuSO4) was evaluated, with CMC@Cu⁰-1 (0.10 M) showing the highest activity. The CMC@Cu⁰ nanocomposite attained 93.4% degradation of Congo red (CR, 10 mg L⁻¹) within 14 min and 93% degradation of crystal violet (CV, 10 mg L⁻¹) within 13 min, using a very low NaBH4 concentration of only 0.045 mM. The degradation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with ostensible rate constants of 0.196 min⁻¹ (CR, R² = 0.976) and 0.2007 min⁻¹ (CV, R² = 0.995). EDX analysis after the fourth catalytic cycle confirmed the retention of copper within the CMC matrix (40.75 wt% Cu), revealing good structural stability and resistance to leaching. Compared with reported catalysts that generally require 10–100 mM NaBH4, the present system reduces reagent consumption by up to three orders of magnitude while maintaining rapid degradation rates. These findings show that the CMC@Cu⁰ membranes not only act as efficient catalysts for dye detoxification but also have significant potential for sustainable wastewater treatment applications.

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How to cite

APA:

Rauf, A., Usama, S., Ahmad, Z., Shafique, M., ULLAH, I., Zhan, C.H.,... Bahattab, O.S. (2026). Carboxymethyl cellulose stabilized copper nanocomposite CMC@Cu0 for the catalytic degradation of Congo red and crystal violet dyes. Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 28(9). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-026-06740-9

MLA:

Rauf, Abdur, et al. "Carboxymethyl cellulose stabilized copper nanocomposite CMC@Cu0 for the catalytic degradation of Congo red and crystal violet dyes." Journal of Nanoparticle Research 28.9 (2026).

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