Microstructure Engineered Nanoporous Copper for Enhanced Catalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Wastewater

Advanced oxidation processes offer bright potential for eliminating organic pollutants from wastewater, where the development of efficient catalysts revolves around deep understanding of the microstructure-property-performance relationship. In this study, we explore how microstructural engineering influences the catalytic performance of nanoporous copper (NPC) in degrading organic contaminants. By systematically tailoring the NPC microstructure, we achieve tunable three-dimensional porous architectures with nanoscale pores and macroscopic grains. This results in a homogeneous, bicontinuous pore-ligament network that is crucial for the oxidative degradation of the model pollutant methylene blue in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The catalytic efficiency is assessed using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, which reveals first-order degradation kinetics with a rate constant κ = 44 × 10^-3 min^-1, a 30-fold improvement over bulk copper foil, and a fourfold increase over copper nanoparticles. The superior performance is attributed to the high surface area, abundant active sites, and multiscale porosity of NPC. Additionally, the high step-edge density, nanoscale curvature, and enhanced crystallinity contribute to the catalyst's remarkable stability and reactivity. This study not only provides insights into microstructure-property-performance relationships in nanoporous catalysts but also offers an effective strategy for designing efficient and scalable materials for wastewater treatment and environmental applications.