Research In Chemical Engineering
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026): Research in Chemical Engineering

Application of Sol-Gel Synthesized Cu-TiO₂/ZnO Photocatalyst for Textile Dye Wastewater Treatment

David Kevin (Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang)



Article Info

Publish Date
14 Apr 2026

Abstract

The textile dyeing industry is the second largest water polluter in the world, with the industry generating 20% of the world's total wastewater effluent. Methylene blue is one of the most commonly used textile dyes, causing degradation of aquatic ecosystem quality. A new method that can help in the treatment process of liquid waste that has a relatively low cost, one of which is a photocatalyst using material  and using the sol gel method. This photocatalyst was tested by characterization using SEM, UV-Vis DRS, and UV-Vis Spectrometer. The results of SEM characteristics show that the particles are spherical with varying particle sizes. The UV-Vis DRS results show that the Eg values obtained are 3.186 eV for TiO₂/ZnO, 2.296 eV for Cu(5%)-TiO₂/ZnO, and 2.162 eV for Cu(8%)-TiO₂/ZnO. The concentration of methylene blue affects the effectiveness of degradation with the highest degradation at 5 ppm of 77.51%, at 10 ppm of 67.02% and 15 ppm of 54.30%. In conclusion, the sol-gel synthesized Cu-TiO₂/ZnO photocatalyst demonstrates promising effectiveness for textile dye wastewater treatment, with optimized Cu doping significantly enhancing visible-light absorption and degradation efficiency of methylene blue.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

rice

Publisher

Subject

Chemical Engineering, Chemistry & Bioengineering Chemistry Energy Engineering Materials Science & Nanotechnology

Description

RICE: Research in Chemical Engineering is a peer-reviewed open-access journal dedicated to the dissemination of chemical engineering and chemistry research and finding. This journal covers Research Articles, Review Articles, Short communication, and case studies Focus and Scope RICE: Research in ...