Abstract
We have demonstrated a facile protocol for synthesizing CuO and Cu 2O mixed-phase nanostructures by anodization of copper hydroxide (Cu(OH)2) nanoneedles and their heat treatment in different atmospheres, which affect photocatalytic degradation efficiency. The oxygen annealed sample had relatively small (100 nm) lamellar, spherical nanoparticulate structures on the substrate surface, which showed better photocatalytic degradation of reactive black 5 dye resulting from the appropriate morphology and phase formation, compared to the samples annealed in different atmospheres and vacuum. The pseudo first-order rate constant (k) of the oxygen annealed sample was 0.0054/min, which was relatively high due to the formation of a CuO-Cu2O heterojunction with matching band potentials. Air, nitrogen, argon and vacuum annealing resulted in bigger particles and different morphologies, which led to pseudo first-order rate constants (k) of 0.0032/min (air-annealed); 0.0021/min (N2-annealed); 0.0033/min (Ar-annealed); and 0.0027/min (vacuum-annealed), which resulted in poor photocatalytic degradation of the reactive black 5 dye.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 8396-8400 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2012 Nov |
Keywords
- Copper hydroxide
- Copper oxide nanoneedles
- Photocatalysis
- Surface defect
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Bioengineering
- Chemistry(all)
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science(all)
- Condensed Matter Physics