Oxidation of Methanol aqueous solution by Nanocomposite ZnO:CuO

Abstract

In this study, zinc oxide was loaded onto cuprous oxide. The substrate used was cupric oxide, which was deposited and loaded onto the semiconductor using hydrogen peroxide. The reactants and the prepared inorganic complex were characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, in addition to elemental analysis of the binary complex before and after heat treatment. The experimental activity of the prepared binary complex was determined through the oxidation reaction of methanol solution to formaldehyde by irradiation with a lamp emitting light in the ultraviolet region. The results showed the successful photocatalytic transformation of the prepared complex in the methanol oxidation process, with higher efficiency than zinc oxide.