Low intensity UV driven dual functional Cu doped BiVO4 for enhanced methylene blue degradation and Staphylococcus
Thien Kuang Lih1, Alvin Lim Teik Zheng2,3, Hui Yan Tan4
1Department of Science and Technology, Faculty of Humanities, Management and Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia Sarawak, 97008, Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Abstract:
This study reported on a dual-functional Cu-doped BiVO4 photocatalyst synthesized via the hydrothermal method. Optimized 1 wt% Cu doping narrowed the bandgap to 2.24 eV, enabling 85% methylene blue (MB) degradation under low-intensity UV (13 W) within 180 min; a 5.1-fold enhancement over bare BiVO4. Radical trapping confirmed hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide radicals (·O2-) as the dominant reactive species. The catalyst retained > 92% efficiency over three cycles and exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (12.6 ± 0.4 mm inhibition zone) in dark conditions, attributed to Cu2⁺ release. Cost analysis further revealed a competitive synthesis cost of approximately RM 7.57 per gram, supporting the economic viability for large-scale environmental remediation applications. The integration of dual photocatalytic and antibacterial functionalities, along with cost efficiency, reinforces the practical potential of Cu-doped BiVO4 in wastewater treatment applications.
