Synthesis of CuO/MCM-41 Photocatalyst Nanocomposite, Mechanistic Study and Optimization of Quinoline Oxidative Degradation without Auxiliary Oxidant Using Response Surface Methodology

Along with the development of science and technology, the attention of researchers has been drawn to the use of the catalysts for removing pollutants from oil. In this research, the oxidative degradation of quinoline using CuO/MCM-41 nanoparticles was optimized, in the presence of ultraviolet radiation without any auxiliary oxidants using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The CuO/MCM-41 nanocomposite was synthesized by applying a facile method and was investigated using XRD, FESEM, EDS, Mapping, FTIR, and BET/BJH techniques. The degradation efficiency was measured by a UV spectrophotometer, and was evaluated by the use of the GC-MASS technique. The results indicated that the highest removal of quinoline without using auxiliary oxidant and with the help of synthetic catalyst was about 84%.