Low intensity UV driven dual functional Cu doped BiVO4 for enhanced methylene blue degradation and Staphylococcus aureus inactivation
Thien Kuang Lih, Alvin Lim Teik Zheng, Hui Yan Tan, Shahrul Razid Sarbini, Kelly Kai Seng Wong, Eric Lim Teik Chung, Yoshito Andou, Kar Ban Tan
Abstract
This study reported on a dual-functional Cu-doped BiVO 4 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 BiVO 4 . Radical trapping confirmed hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide radicals (·O 2 − ) 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 Cu 2 ⁺ 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 BiVO 4 in wastewater treatment applications.