CuO/NiO-doped ordered mesoporous carbon for high-performance photocatalytic degradation of dye and energy storage application
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Date
2026
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Abstract
Advanced nanomaterials with optimized structures, surfaces, porous characteristics, optimum band gaps, and
compositions are crucial for wastewater treatment and energy storage applications. Here, we report the soft-
template synthesis of CuO/NiO-doped ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC/CuO/NiO), which exhibits a syner
gistic enhancement in photocatalytic and electrochemical performance. The structure testing verified the crea
tion of regular mesoporous and effective doping of CuO and NiO into the Carbon framework. The photocatalytic
activity of the nanocomposite studied was determined by means of the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye
in the presence of UV–visible light. Light absorption and enhanced charge separation increased the degradation
efficiency of the OMC/CuO/NiO nanocomposite to 96 % (improved compared to pure OMC of 55.07 %) and
facilitated light absorption and charge separation, respectively. In addition to photocatalysis, OMC/CuO/NiO
nanocomposite electrode shows excellent performance as a Supercapacitor with a specific capacitance of 564.2 F
g-1 (at 5 mVs-1) and 559.1 F g-1 (at 0.9 Ag-1), which is 3.1-fold higher than undoped OMC (179.7 F g-1). Be
sides, GCD profiles reveal the energy density of 49.6 Wh kg-1 and power density of 359.9 W kg-1, which confirms
the potential of the material in the fast-charge-discharge processes. Mechanistic studies validate the fact that
synergistic redox interactions between Cu and Ni species facilitate the separation of electrons and holes, the
production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the enhanced photocatalytic activity. These findings make
OMC/CuO/NiO a second-generation dual functional material in the form of sustainable wastewater treatment
and superior energy storage technologies.