Synthesis and Investigation of Pure and Cu-Doped NiO Nanofilms for Future Applications in Wastewater Treatment Rejected by Textile Industry
, Mohamed Amine Dahamni 1, Mostefa Ghamnia 1,*, Abdelwahab Boukhachem 2, Djamel Boukrédimi 3, Didier Tonneau 4 and Carole Fauquet 4
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
August, 2, 2022
The manuscript titled " Synthesis and investigation of pure and Cu-doped NiO nanofilms for future applications in wastewater treatment rejected by textile industry"
In this manuscript, authors reported synthesis of NiO films and doping with different weight contents of Cu (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 wt.%) that were deposited on glass substrate using a soft chemical process at 400 oC. After that, the prepared catalysts were testified as efficient photocatalysts for the degradation of methylene blue. The prepared samples were characterized by several techniques such as XRD, SEM, AFM and UV-Visible. The results of this research are conveyed thoughtfully and completely, and they are consistent with the experimental findings. However, the authors failed to explain and draw out the novelty of the work, this aspect needs to be improved. This work is worthwhile to be publish in this journal after major revision. The following issues should be addressed:
1. Introduction is well-organized and well-written, but the importance and novelty of the research should be highlighted and more clearly stated. The authors give some examples of works in the bibliography, but which is the advantage of their work in comparison with those works.
2. In Materials and method section, please provide the purity of your chosen precursors.
3. In Materials and method section, the conditions used for all characterization techniques should be added.
4. Author Should provide more information about the preparation technique, in which the procedure of the method used is not unclear.
5. Some photoelectrochemical tests, such as EIS and LSV plots conducted under visible-light irradiation should be added for the prepared photocatalysts.
6. what about cycle stability of the prepared catalysts, and after cycle stability of photocatalytic reaction, whether morphology and crystal structure of the catalysts were changes?
7. The comparison on photocatalytic activity of as-prepared samples with some typical NiO photocatalysts ever reported should be added.
8. The authors are responsible for the English, which should be polished throughout the manuscript to clear some minor typo/grammar errors.
9. Introduction part, if possible, some important and relative reports about Photocatalysis could helped: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c03693 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2022.03.067 , https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c03735.
10. what is the type of copper nanoparticles, is it Cu metal or CuO? Author should perform XPS to define the valency of copper.
Hence, I recommend it accepted for publication after some major revisions.
Author Response
Please see attached answers
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Sufficient modifications were inserted however all comments was not completely answered/completed, therefore I suggest minor revision
1. Figure 6 is still not revised. Close all the images of Figure 6 to each other.
2. Label the main xrd peaks in the Figure 1.
3. The sustainability of photocatalysts were not performed.
4. Give headings Instrumentation/Characterization in the materials and methods section.
5. Mention the specifications of all the chemicals used in the experiment e.g. from where the chemicals was purchased and what are their purity, further purified or used as such.
Author Response
Please see the attached answerings
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
The manuscript is acceptable in the present form since authors have well addressed the questions proposed by referees.
