Multifunctional Nb-Cu Nanostructured Materials As Potential Adsorbents And Oxidation Catalysts For Real Wastewater Decontamination

Herein, we report the preparation of two niobium(v)-copper(ii)-based materials using a bifunctional dicopper(ii) complex as a template. Material 1 was prepared via the coprecipitation method in the presence of an aqueous solution of the dicopper(ii) complex (n-Bu4N)(4)[Cu2L2] (n-Bu4N+ = tetra-n-butylammonium cation and L = N,N-2,2-ethylenediphenylenebis(oxamate)), ammonium niobium(v) oxalate (NH4[NbO(C2O4)(2)(H2O)(2)]), and ammonia. Material 2 was obtained via the calcination of 1 at 600 degrees C. Both hybrid materials were characterized via micro-ATR FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy, XRPD, TEM and SEM microscopy, and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) surface measurements. The microporous nanostructured niobium(v)-copper(ii) complex material 1 exhibited a high surface area (200 m(2) g(-1)); whereas, material 2 consisted of a crystalline mixture of Nb2O5 and CuO phases with a low surface area (40 m(2) g(-1)). The ability of both materials to act as adsorbents and heterogeneous catalysts to remove methylene blue dye from real wastewater was evaluated. Material 1 exhibited a remarkable maximum adsorption capacity according to the Langmuir model compared to that of the niobium-based nanostructured material (q(max) = 199.20 mg g(-1)). Both 1 and 2 were used as heterogeneous catalysts for the removal of methylene blue dye from real wastewater by Fenton-like reaction. In the presence of hydrogen peroxide, 2 removed approximately 89% of the dye from water, while 1 removed 85% of the contaminant.