Efficient Catalytic Reduction of 2-Nitrophenol Using Cellulose Acetate Butyrate/CuO Nanocomposite Prepared by Laser Ablation Technique

This work reports an effective laser synthesis of CuO nanoparticles, seeded in cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB). The structure and composition of the resulting nanocomposite were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Uv–visible spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). The characterization data showed that incorporating CuO into the CAB polymer matrix resulted in a heterogeneous organic–inorganic nanocomposite framework, such that suppressed crystallinity, decreased thermostability, and favorably reduced bandgap energy were seen in the CAB/CuO nanocomposite relative to the CAB material itself. The fabricated CAB/CuO nanocomposite was then successfully applied in the reduction of 2-nitrophenol (2-NP), a common organic pollutant in wastewater, where even low concentrations are harmful to human health and aquatic life. The reduction of the 2-nitrophenol compound was carefully monitored by UV–visible absorption spectroscopy. This revealed an apparent rate constant of 0.248 s⁻¹ for the reduction process, demonstrating an excellent catalytic performance by the cellulose acetate butyrate film/CuO nanocomposite. In the technique reported, the reduction efficiency is a factor of time, with 100% efficiency achieved in 16 min.