Cobalt aluminate/carbon composite nanoparticles have been
synthesised by utilising an auto-combustion method using glycine
as an inexpensive fuel. The products were analysed by various
techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform
infrared (FT-IR), thermal analysis (TG), field emission scanning
electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy
(TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis diffuse
reflectance spectrum (DRS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
(EDS). The results exhibited that the average crystallite size of the
as-prepared CoAl2O4/C nanocomposite was ca. 26 nm. The photocatalytic
activity of the as-prepared catalyst was evaluated through
the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under different conditions,
and the photocatalytic degradation mechanism was proposed.
The results indicated that CoAl2O4/C nanocomposite has
a high catalytic performance for the photocatalytic degradation of
MB dye under UV illumination in the presence of H2O2. The degradation
efficiency reached 98.5% in 90 min with a degradation rate
constant of 0.046 min−1.