Erna Frida, Syahrul Humaidi, Ferry Rahmat Astianta Bukit, Bunga Fisikanta Bukit, Agus Wedi Pratama, Firda Aulya Syamani, Nurdin Bukit, Istiqomah Rahmawati, Noureddine El Messaoudi, Salah Knani
This study investigates the synergistic influence of oil palm boiler ash (OPBA) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) fillers on the photocatalytic performance of polycaprolactone (PCL)-based nanocomposites for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under UV irradiation. Nanocomposites with varying loadings of OPBA and TiO2 were fabricated and systematically characterized using SEM-EDX, XRD, and FTIR. SEM micrographs revealed a rough surface morphology with inhomogeneous dispersion and agglomeration of OPBA particles within the PCL matrix. XRD analysis showed that increasing TiO2 content reduced the crystallite size, with the highest TiO₂ loading yielding the smallest crystallite size (24.72 nm), compared to the TiO₂-free sample (37.55 nm). FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of Ti–O–Ti and Ti–O–C bonds, indicating successful incorporation of TiO2 into the composite. Photocatalytic tests demonstrated that the PCL/OPBA/TiO2 nanocomposite achieved 86.61 % MB degradation within 30 h under UV light. Notably, even the TiO2-free PCL/OPBA composite exhibited measurable photocatalytic activity, highlighting the intrinsic photocatalytic potential of waste-derived OPBA. Biodegradability assessments further indicated mass loss across all samples, confirming their environmental compatibility. These findings underscore the promising role of OPBA as a sustainable photocatalytic enhancer and reveal a synergistic effect between OPBA and TiO2 in boosting the dye degradation efficiency of PCL-based nanocomposites, offering a viable, eco-friendly approach for advanced wastewater treatment applications. © 2026 Elsevier B.V.
Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia; Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia; Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Quality Berastagi, Sumatera Utara, Karo, Indonesia; Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jember, Jember, Indonesia; Research Center for Biomass and Bioproducts, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, Cibinong, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan, Indonesia; Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Jember, Jember, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, 11623, Saudi Arabia; Center for Scientific Research and Entrepreneurship, Northern Border University, Arar, 73213, Saudi Arabia
