New crystalline Cu_1-x+yBi_xFe_yO Semiconductors via Facile Synthesis: high tuning of Optical, Dielectric, Electrical, magnetic, and sunlight-driven Depollution Properties

Advance the photocatalytic properties of broad-spectrum catalysts can contribute to the rapid, effective, and practical treatment of organic waste in the environment. In this study, the nano-catalysts based on Bi/Fe ions codoped CuO semiconductor revealed a high removal efficiency, well mineralization, and good reusability for dyes, pharmaceuticals, and pesticide waste. The low-expensive coprecipitation way was applied to achieve CuO, Cu_0.97Bi_0.015Fe_0.015O, and Cu_0.94Bi_0.03Fe_0.03O powders. The pure single monoclinic phase was confirmed for the synthesized compositions based on crystal structure analysis. The computed band gap energy of undoped CuO nanoparticles is 1.5 eV which declined to 1.4 and 1.38 eV for Cu_0.97Bi_0.015Fe_0.015O and Cu_0.94Bi_0.03Fe_0.03O powders, respectively. The room temperature magnetic and dielectric measurements demonstrated that the Cu_0.94Bi_0.03Fe_0.03O sample has a robust ferromagnetic order with high saturation magnetization of 0.71 emu/g as well as the colossal dielectric constant of 5468 at a frequency of 50 Hz. For a green environment, perfect removal efficiencies of 98, 95 and 93% were identified for nanocrystalline Cu_0.97Bi_0.015Fe_0.015O catalyst towards reactive yellow 145, paracetamol, and methyl parathion in 30, 40 and 40 min of solar lighting, respectively. The high transform of reactive yellow 145, paracetamol, and methyl parathion pollutants to intermediate products and finally to carbon dioxide and water molecules was verified by the mineralization analysis. Furthermore, the reusability parameter of Cu_0.97Bi_0.015Fe_0.015O catalyst gives a practical photodegradation efficiency above 85% for the different successive cycles.