Synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic applications of novel sword-like copper oxide microparticles

• Novel CuO microparticles in sword-like morphology were prepared by microemulsion and calcination. • The major composition of the prepared materials was confirmed by XRD and EDS. • The photocatalytic property of the CuO microparticles was established using methylene blue model dye compound. • The degradation of methylene blue dye followed first-order kinetic model according to the general Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism. This letter aimed to synthesize novel copper oxide (CuO) microparticles via the microemulsion method followed by calcination. The synthesized material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy techniques; and subsequently applied for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) using the heterogeneous photo-Fenton method. SEM images revealed the formation of homogeneous sword-like CuO microparticles. The XRD pattern and EDS spectrum confirmed that the main part of the material was CuO with the formation of Na 8 Cu 5 O 10 as an impurity. The photocatalytic degradation of MB followed the first-order kinetic model according to the general Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism. The as-prepared materials can be successfully applied in the visible-light-induced photocatalytic degradation of hazardous organic compounds and industrial wastewaters.