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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Catalysts

From Selective Adsorption to Photocatalytic Removal: Complementary Cobalt Oxides for Pollutant-Oriented Treatment of Dye Mixtures

  • Melissa Greta Galloni1,2
  • Vincenzo Fabbrizio1,2
  • Gunay Nasirova1,2
  • Ermelinda Falletta1,2
  • Alessia Giordana2,3
  • Giuseppina Cerrato2,3
  • Claudia Letizia Bianchi1,2
  1. 1Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
  2. 2Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali (INSTM), Via Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy
  3. 3Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
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Abstract

The development of photocatalysts for water treatment generally focuses on maximizing removal efficiency, whereas the role of material–pollutant interactions in determining pollutant-dependent removal behaviour remains comparatively underexplored. Herein, pristine Co3O4 and a CuCo2O4-based mixed oxide were comparatively investigated with two chemically distinct anionic dyes, methyl orange (MO) and Congo red (CR). Physicochemical characterization revealed differences between the materials, which were associated with distinct removal behaviours. Under solar irradiation, Co3O4 achieved 94% MO removal within 180 min at acidic pH, whereas CR removal showed a stronger adsorption contribution. Conversely, the CuCo2O4-based oxide exhibited near-complete CR removal through adsorption but limited photocatalytic contribution toward MO. After regeneration, substantial recovery of both photocatalytic and adsorption performance was observed. These complementary behaviours were exploited in sequential treatment of a binary MO/CR mixture, combining CR removal by adsorption over the CuCo2O4-based material with photocatalytic removal of the residual MO by Co3O4. A simultaneous one-pot configuration achieved comparably high final removal of both dyes, showing that temporal separation was not required for high overall removal under the investigated conditions. Overall, matching material functionalities to pollutant characteristics enables pollutant-oriented treatment strategies integrating complementary adsorption and photocatalytic functions.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{galloni2026from,
  title = {{From Selective Adsorption to Photocatalytic Removal: Complementary Cobalt Oxides for Pollutant-Oriented Treatment of Dye Mixtures}},
  author = {Melissa Greta Galloni and Vincenzo Fabbrizio and Gunay Nasirova and Ermelinda Falletta and Alessia Giordana and Giuseppina Cerrato and Claudia Letizia Bianchi},
  journal = {Catalysts},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/catal16100885},
  url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/16/10/885},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - From Selective Adsorption to Photocatalytic Removal: Complementary Cobalt Oxides for Pollutant-Oriented Treatment of Dye Mixtures
AU  - Melissa Greta Galloni
AU  - Vincenzo Fabbrizio
AU  - Gunay Nasirova
AU  - Ermelinda Falletta
AU  - Alessia Giordana
AU  - Giuseppina Cerrato
AU  - Claudia Letizia Bianchi
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/02
JO  - Catalysts
DO  - 10.3390/catal16100885
UR  - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4344/16/10/885
AB  - The development of photocatalysts for water treatment generally focuses on maximizing removal efficiency, whereas the role of material–pollutant interactions in determining pollutant-dependent removal behaviour remains comparatively underexplored. Herein, pristine Co3O4 and a CuCo2O4-based mixed oxide were comparatively investigated with two chemically distinct anionic dyes, methyl orange (MO) and Congo red (CR). Physicochemical characterization revealed differences between the materials, which were associated with distinct removal behaviours. Under solar irradiation, Co3O4 achieved 94% MO removal within 180 min at acidic pH, whereas CR removal showed a stronger adsorption contribution. Conversely, the CuCo2O4-based oxide exhibited near-complete CR removal through adsorption but limited photocatalytic contribution toward MO. After regeneration, substantial recovery of both photocatalytic and adsorption performance was observed. These complementary behaviours were exploited in sequential treatment of a binary MO/CR mixture, combining CR removal by adsorption over the CuCo2O4-based material with photocatalytic removal of the residual MO by Co3O4. A simultaneous one-pot configuration achieved comparably high final removal of both dyes, showing that temporal separation was not required for high overall removal under the investigated conditions. Overall, matching material functionalities to pollutant characteristics enables pollutant-oriented treatment strategies integrating complementary adsorption and photocatalytic functions.
SN  - 2073-4344
ER  -