Study the effect of crystallite size for Cu NPs on the degradation of methylene blue dye under the sun light illumination

Abstract

 In the present work, the colloidal nanoparticles were prepared from a bulk metal by laser ablation technique. Copper thin films were fabricated via a simple deposition method (drop casting method). This study focuses on degradation efficiency of methylene blue dye (MB). The films were analyzed by using X- ray diffraction pattern and scanning electron microscope (SEM). We found from results of X- ray and SEM decrease the crystallite size from (39 to 31 nm) with increase pulse numbers, also the grain size decrease and surface homogeneity increased when the pulses number increases from (1500 to 2500). The copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) shown Photo-catalytic activity in different irradiation time. Photocatalytic properties were evident on the absorption of methylene blue dye (MB) increase when increases irradiation time and add Cu NPs. Degradation efficiency of MB dye increases progressively with longer irradiation times and decreases grain size of CuNPs, so that the relationship between crystallite size and degradation efficiency was inversely. Found from results two factors effect on the Degradation efficiency, first the irradiation time, second the crystallite size.