Highly Facet‐Dependent Photocatalytic Properties of Cu2O Crystals Established through the Formation of Au‐Decorated Cu2O Heterostructures

This work confirms the presence of a large facet‐dependent photocatalytic activity of Cu₂O crystals through sparse deposition of gold particles on Cu₂O cubes, octahedra, and rhombic dodecahedra. Au‐decorated Cu₂O rhombic dodecahedra and octahedra showed greatly enhanced photodegradation rates of methyl orange resulting from a better separation of the photogenerated electrons and holes, with the rhombic dodecahedra giving the best efficiency. Au–Cu₂O core–shell rhombic dodecahedra also displayed a better photocatalytic activity than pristine rhombic dodecahedra. However, Au‐deposited Cu₂O cubes, pristine cubes, and Au‐deposited small nanocubes bound by entirely {100} facets are all photocatalytically inactive. X‐ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) showed identical copper peak positions for these Au‐decorated crystals. Remarkably, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements indicated a higher production of hydroxyl radicals for the photoirradiated Cu₂O rhombic dodecahedra than for the octahedra, but no radicals were produced from photoirradiated Cu₂O cubes. The Cu₂O {100} face may present a high energy barrier through its large band edge bending and/or electrostatic repulsion, preventing charge carriers from reaching to this surface. The conventional photocatalysis model fails in this case. The facet‐dependent photocatalytic differences should be observable in other semiconductor systems whenever a photoinduced charge‐transfer process occurs across an interface.     

金/氧化亚铜异质球的制备及其可见光催化性能

使用L-半胱氨酸作为连接剂, 利用硼氢化钠原位还原预先吸附在介孔氧化亚铜表面的氯金酸根离子,得到了Au/Cu₂O异质结构. 应用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、紫外-可见(UV-Vis)光谱和N₂物理吸附等手段对催化剂进行表征, 并以λ>400 nm的可见光作为光源, 评价了该催化剂光催化降解亚甲基蓝(MB)的活性. 实验结果表明, 直径为4 nm的金颗粒完好地负载在介孔氧化亚铜的表面, 并且介孔氧化亚铜的细微结构与孔径均未发生变化. 研究表明, 以乙醇作为反应溶剂有效抑制了AuCl₄^-与Cu₂O之间的氧化还原反应, 从而有利于氧化亚铜介孔结构的保持及金颗粒的原位还原. 光催化降解亚甲基蓝的结果表明, Au/Cu₂O异质结构的光催化活性比纯氧化亚铜光催化活性有明显提高. 推测其光催化性能提高的主要原因如下: 一方面, 金颗粒良好的导电性有利于氧化亚铜表面电子的快速转移, 实现电子-空穴分离; 另一方面, 金颗粒可能存在的表面等离子共振现象加速了光生电子的产生.     

Preparation of cuprous oxides with different sizes and their behaviors of adsorption,visible-light driven photocatalysis and photocorrosion

Cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) nanoparticles and microparticles have been prepared by liquid phase chemical synthesis. The samples were characterized by means of SEM, XRD, UV/DRS and XPS. It was presented that as-prepared Cu₂O nanoparticles are substantially stable in ambient atmosphere and the Cu⁺ as main state exists on the surface of Cu₂O nanoparticles. As-prepared Cu₂O microparticles can exist stably as a Cu₂O/CuO core/shell structure; and the Cu²⁺ as main state exists on the surface of Cu₂O microparticles. The behaviors of adsorption, photocatalysis and photocorrosion of Cu₂O particles with different sizes were investigated in detail. The results show that Cu₂O nanoparticles are very easy to photocorrosion during the photocatalytic reaction, which cannot be used as photocatalyst directly to degrade organic compound, although as-prepared Cu₂O nanoparticles exhibit special property of adsorption. Cu₂O microparticles have a higher photocatalytic activity than Cu₂O nanoparticles because of its slower photocorrosion rate, although Cu₂O microparticles have much lower adsorption capacity than Cu₂O nanoparticles. The mechanisms of photocatalysis and photocorrosion for Cu₂O under visible light were also discussed.     

Conversion of CuO Nanoplates into Porous Hybrid Cu2O/Polypyrrole Nanoflakes through a Pyrrole‐Induced Reductive Transformation Reaction

Porous hybrid Cu₂O/polypyrrole nanoflakes have been synthesized from solid CuO nanoplate templates through the pyrrole‐induced reductive transformation reaction at elevated temperature. The conversion mechanism involves the reductive transformation of CuO to Cu₂O and the in situ oxidative polymerization of pyrrole to polypyrrole. In addition, the morphology of the as‐converted nanohybrids depends on the shape of the CuO precursors. The strategy enables us to transform single‐crystalline CuO nanosheets into hollow hybrid Cu₂O/polypyrrole nanoframes. The ability to transform CuO and an organic monomer into porous hybrid materials of conducting polymer and Cu₂O with macrosized morphological retention opens up interesting possibilities to create novel nanostructures. Electrochemical examinations show that these porous hybrid Cu₂O/polypyrrole nanostructures exhibit efficient catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), excellent methanol tolerance ability, and catalytic stability in alkaline solution, thus making them promising nonprecious‐metal‐based catalysts for ORR in alkaline fuel cells and metal–air batteries.     

Continuous Tuning of Au–Cu2O Janus Nanostructures for Efficient Charge Separation

In photocatalysis, the Schottky barrier in metal–semiconductor hybrids is known to promote charge separation, but a core–shell structure always leads to a charge build-up and eventually shuts off the photocurrent. Here, we show that Au–Cu₂O hybrid nanostructures can be continuously tuned, particularly when the Cu₂O domains are single-crystalline. This is in contrast to the conventional systems, where the hybrid configuration is mainly determined by the choice of materials. The distal separation of the Au–Cu₂O domains in Janus nanostructures leads to enhanced charge separation and a large improvement of the photocurrent. The activity of the Au–Cu₂O Janus structures is 5 times higher than that of the core–shell structure, and 10 times higher than that of the neat Cu₂O nanocubes. The continuous structural tuning allows to study the structure–property relationship and an optimization of the photocatalytic performance.     

Photocatalytic activity of Cu2O nanoparticles prepared through novel synthesis method of precursor reduction in the presence of thiosulfate

A novel fabrication of Cu₂O nanoparticles was successfully achieved through the reduction of Cu²⁺ in the interlayer of montmorillonite (denoted as MT). The Cu₂O nanoparticles formed in the clay interlayer (denoted as Cu₂O/MT) had a lamellate shape of 20–100 nm in width and ca. 0.39 nm in thickness, and thus, the Cu₂O/MT exhibited a higher specific surface area than neat Cu₂O. The Cu₂O/MT was applied to a photocatalyst, and its photocatalytic activity was examined in terms of water reduction (i.e., H₂ evolution) in the presence of methanol (electron donor). The Cu₂O/MT showed a high photocatalytic activity in comparison with neat Cu₂O; moreover, the photocatalytic activity was improved by loading a Pt catalyst onto the surface of Cu₂O. Based on the dependencies of photocatalytic activity on light intensity as well as methanol concentration, it was revealed that the H₂ evolution from water on Cu₂O/MT is the rate-determining step. Thus, the active and efficient photocatalysis of Cu₂O/MT was associated with an increase in specific surface area corresponding to the number of active sites.     

TiO2/Cu2O/Pt复合空心微球的制备及其光催化性能

以锐钛矿相TiO₂溶胶为基底,采用沉淀法和液相沉积法制备了TiO₂/Cu₂O/Pt复合空心微球,通过改变n_Ti⁴⁺∶ n_Cu²⁺和H₂PtCl₆·6 H₂O溶液的加入量对TiO₂的形貌和结构进行调控,采用不同的方法对不同样品的物相及结构、微观形貌和光学性能进行了对比分析。分析结果表明,复合材料中Pt与Cu₂O的引入产生协同效应,不仅在一定程度上阻止了电子-空穴的复合,还降低了禁带宽度,在可见光区域光吸收明显增强。与TiO₂、Cu₂O和TiO₂/Cu₂O光催化剂相比较,TiO₂/Cu₂O/Pt降解有机污染物的能力显著增强,首次光照120 min可降解93%的甲基橙(MO)溶液,4次循环后降解率为71%,具有良好的光催化稳定性能。     

TiO2/Cu2O/Pt复合空心微球的制备及其光催化性能

以锐钛矿相TiO₂溶胶为基底,采用沉淀法和液相沉积法制备了TiO₂/Cu₂O/Pt复合空心微球,通过改变n₍Ti⁴⁺)∶n_Cu2+和H₂Pt Cl₆·6H₂O溶液的加入量对TiO₂的形貌和结构进行调控,采用不同的方法对不同样品的物相及结构、微观形貌和光学性能进行了对比分析。分析结果表明,复合材料中Pt与Cu₂O的引入产生协同效应,不仅在一定程度上阻止了电子-空穴的复合,还降低了禁带宽度,在可见光区域光吸收明显增强。与TiO₂、Cu₂O和TiO₂/Cu₂O光催化剂相比较,TiO₂/Cu₂O/Pt降解有机污染物的能力显著增强,首次光照120 min可降解93%的甲基橙(MO)溶液,4次循环后降解率为71%,具有良好的光催化...     

Simultaneous Tuning Band Gaps of Cu2O and TiO2 to Form S-Scheme Hetero-Photocatalyst

Photocatalytic Z or S scheme merits higher redox potentials and faster charge separation. However, heterostructure photocatalysts with band gaps of bulk materials often have a type I band structure leading to poor photocatalytic activity. In view of this, we report simultaneous tuning of band gaps of Cu₂O and TiO₂, where quantum dot Cu₂O nanoparticles were formed on doped TiO₂ with Ti³⁺. The reduced size of Cu₂O made its conduction band more negative, whereas the introduction of Ti³⁺ made the absorption edge red shift to the visible light region. The as-formed heterostructure enabled an S-Scheme mechanism with remarkable activity and stability for visible light photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). The as-obtained photocatalysts’ activity demonstrated ca. 510-fold increase as compared to individual ones and a mechanical blend. The as-obtained photocatalysts maintained over 80 % for 5 cycles and 2 months exposure to O₂ did not decrease the degradation rate. ESR characterization and scavenger experiments proved the S-Scheme mechanism.     

Z型异质结Cu2O/Bi2MoO6的构建及光催化降解性能

通过水热法制备出一系列Z型异质结Cu₂O/Bi₂MoO₆新型光催化剂。采用扫描电子显微镜、粉末X射线衍射、红外光谱、紫外可见吸收光谱等表征手段研究了催化剂的形貌、结构性质和光电化学性质,并以四环素(TC)为降解目标污染物,进一步探究了其催化效率。实验结果表明,Cu₂O的加入提高了复合催化剂的光催化性能,其中20% Cu₂O/Bi₂MoO₆复合催化剂(Cu₂O和Bi₂MoO₆的质量比为20%)降解效果最好,100 min内可降解95%的TC。Cu₂O与Bi₂MoO₆之间的协同作用使其可以吸收更多的可见光,所构建的Z型异质结改变了电子转移途径,提高了电子与空穴的分离效率,光催化活性显著提高。通过自由基捕获实验和能带结构,分析了Z型异质结Cu₂O/Bi₂MoO₆复合催化剂光催化降解TC可能的机理。     

Cu2O/CNTs复合材料的制备及其光催化性能

以乙二醇为还原剂,采用溶剂热法在混酸(V_(H_2SO_4)/V_(HNO_3)=3∶1)超声处理的碳纳米管(CNTs)表面负载氧化亚铜(Cu_2O),通过改变CNTs的含量制备出球形Cu_2O/CNTs复合材料。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)、扫描电镜(SEM)、能谱分析(EDS)、N_2吸附-脱附、紫外-可见光漫反射(DRS)、有机总碳量(TOC)等对Cu_2O/CNTs进行表征;研究CNTs含量对Cu_2O/CNTs复合材料的结构、形貌、比表面积与孔径、光吸收特性的影响;结合光催化机理讨论CNTs对Cu_2O/CNTs光催化性能的影响。结果表明,当CNTs含量为0.2 g时,Cu_2O/CNTs的光催化性能最佳,在可见光照射60 min后,对甲基橙的降解率达到92.1%。     

Cu2O cubic and polyhedral structures versus commercial powder: Shape effect on photocatalytic activity under visible light

A simple precipitation-reduction method was used to prepare cubic and polyhedral Cu₂O structures. Their morphological, structural, optical and electronic properties were analyzed and compared with those of commercial Cu₂O by means of SEM, TEM, XRD, UV–vis DRS, Photoluminescence Spectroscopy and Time Resolved Microwave Conductivity. Methyl orange (MO) photodegradation with visible light (blue-light LEDs, λ = 450–470 nm) was taken as a model reaction to study the photocatalytic activity. According to the results, Cu₂O edge-and corner-truncated polyhedral particles significantly decreased the MO initial concentration by adsorption and photocatalysis, whereas, Cu₂O cubic particles did not show MO adsorption but slightly higher photocatalytic activity than the polyhedral particles. Commercial Cu₂O showed MO adsorption and high electron mobility but it was completely inactive. These results were explained in terms of the crystalline defects that influence both, the adsorption capacity and the photocatalytic activity.     

Photocorrosion of Cuprous Oxide in Hydrogen Production: Rationalising Self‐Oxidation or Self‐Reduction

Cuprous Oxide (Cu₂O) is a photocatalyst with severe photocorrosion issues. Theoretically, it can undergo both self‐oxidation (to form copper oxide (CuO)) and self‐reduction (to form metallic copper (Cu)) upon illumination with the aid of photoexcited charges. There is, however, limited experimental understanding of the “dominant” photocorrosion pathway. Both photocorrosion modes can be regulated by tailoring the conditions of the photocatalytic reactions. Photooxidation of Cu₂O (in the form of a suspension system), accompanied by corroded morphology, is kinetically favourable and is the prevailing deactivation pathway. With knowledge of the dominant deactivation mode of Cu₂O, suppression of self‐photooxidation together with enhancement in its overall photocatalytic performance can be achieved after a careful selection of sacrificial hole (h⁺) scavenger. In this way, stable hydrogen (H₂) production can be attained without the need for deposition of secondary components.     

Synthesis of Cu2O/Ag Composite with Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation Activity for in situ SERS Analysis

A multifunctional Cu₂O/Ag micro-nanocomposite, which has the characteristics of high catalytic activities under the visible light and high surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity, was fabricated via a facile method and employed for the in situ SERS monitoring of the photocatalytic degradation reaction of crystal violet. Through the variation of the AgNO₃ concentration, Ag content on the Cu₂O template can be controllably tuned, which has great influence on the SERS effect. The results indicate that Ag nanoparticles form on the Cu₂O nanoframes to obtain the Cu₂O/Ag nanocomposite, which can act as an excellent bifunctional platform for in situ monitoring of photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutions by SERS.     

A P/N type compounded Cu<Subscript>2</Subscript>O/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> photo-catalytic membrane for organic pollutant degradation

A heterojunction thin film consisting of n-type titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and p-type cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) was fabricated on an FTO conducting glass. The TiO₂ films were grown on the FTO glass by sol–gel and spray pyrolysis methods, and Cu₂O was deposited on it via the hydrothermal method. The morphology, crystalline structure, and optical absorption characteristics were studied by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectrum, respectively. The results show that the surface of the Cu₂O/TiO₂ film was composed of net and large grains, which contributed to a large specific surface area. The crystal phase of the TiO₂ in the Cu₂O/TiO₂ film remained anatase. The crystal phase of the Cu₂O could not be detected as it is found in traces. The Cu₂O/TiO₂ film had a stronger optical absorption ability than the pure TiO₂ film. To investigate catalytic activity, a photocatalytic degradation experiment of the Cu₂O/TiO₂ film was performed in a homemade thin-layer micro-reactor. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue increased with increasing amounts of deposited Cu₂O until a maximum limit was reached. The photocatalytic activity might have declined with an increase in Cu₂O content. The metallic oxide has the potential to screen other photocatalysts from the UV source.     

Enhanced Activity of CuCeO Catalysts for CO Oxidation: Influence of Cu2O and the Dispersion of Cu2O,CuO, and CeO2

CuCeO catalysts prepared by a hydrothermal method with subsequent calcination are tested for the catalytic oxidation of CO. This synthesis method leads to a homogeneous dispersion of Cu₂O, CuO, and CeO₂ in the catalysts. The composition of the catalysts is determined by the molar ratio of the metals, the hydrothermal process, and calcination temperature and influences the catalytic performance. The catalyst containing Cu₂O exhibits high catalytic activity with almost 100 % CO conversion at 105 °C and shows excellent stability with the conversion ratio not decreasing after four months of storage.     

Cu?Cu2O?TiO2 Nanojunction Systems with an Unusual Electron–Hole Transportation Pathway and Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties

Multicomponent Cu? Cu₂O? TiO₂ nanojunction systems were successfully synthesized by a mild chemical process, and their structure and composition were thoroughly analyzed by X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The as‐prepared Cu? Cu₂O? TiO₂ (3 and 9 h) nanojunctions demonstrated higher photocatalytic activities under UV/Vis light irradiation in the process of the degradation of organic compounds than those of the Cu? Cu₂O, Cu? TiO₂, and Cu₂O? TiO₂ starting materials. Moreover, time‐resolved photoluminescence spectra demonstrated that the quenching times of electrons and holes in Cu? Cu₂O? TiO₂ (3 h) is higher than that of Cu? Cu₂O? TiO₂ (9 h); this leads to a better photocatalytic performance of Cu? Cu₂O? TiO₂ (3 h). The improvement in photodegradation activity and electron–hole separation of Cu? Cu₂O? TiO₂ (3 h) can be ascribed to the rational coupling of components and dimensional control. Meanwhile, an unusual electron–hole transmission pathway for photocatalytic reactions over Cu? Cu₂O? TiO₂ nanojunctions was also identified.     

Cu2O/CuO Electrocatalyst for Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Methanol

Herein, we report the controlled and direct fabrication of Cu₂O/CuO thin film on the conductive nickel foam using electrodeposition route for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to methanol. The electrocatalytic reduction was performed in CO₂ saturated aqueous solution consisting of KHCO₃, pyridine and HCl at room temperature. CO₂ reduction was carried out at a constant potential of −1.3 V for 120 min to study the electrochemical performance of the prepared electrocatalysts. Cu₂O/CuO shows better electrocatalytic activity with highest current density of 46 mA/cm². The prepared catalyst can be an efficient and selective electrode for the production of methanol.     

One-pot synthesis of graphene–cuprous oxide composite with enhanced photocatalytic activity

In this paper, graphene–cuprous oxide (G–Cu₂O) composites were synthesized at room temperature using graphene oxide (GO) as two-dimensional support. From Zeta potential analysis, the surface charge of G–Cu₂O composites altered from positive to negative, which favors the adsorption and photodegradation of positively charged dyes. Compared with Cu₂O under similar synthesis condition, the G–Cu₂O composites demonstrated improved photodegradation activity for methylene blue (MB) dye under visible light. Controlled experiments indicated that the G–Cu₂O composite synthesized with 80 mg GO in the reaction system possessed more negative Zeta potential, highest specific surface area and thus presented the highest photocatalytic activity. Electrons mechanism for the improved photocatalytic performance of G–Cu₂O composite was proposed in the degradation of MB.     

表面Cu2O纳米颗粒修饰高效促进γ-Bi2MoO6的可见光催化活性

采用水热法在γ-Bi₂MoO₆光催化剂表面修饰了纳米级Cu₂O, 得到了具有高效可见光响应的复合光催化材料, 并利用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、选区电子衍射(SAED)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis-DRS)等技术对其相结构、微观形貌和光吸收性能进行了表征. 在可见光条件下(λ>400 nm)考察了Cu₂O表面修饰对γ-Bi₂MoO₆光催化降解亚甲基蓝(MB)性能的促进作用. 结果表明, 纳米级Cu₂O(~10 nm)颗粒均匀地修饰于γ-Bi₂MoO₆的表面, 使γ-Bi₂MoO₆的可见光吸收带发生明显红移, 且吸收强度大幅提高, 增强了复合材料光生电子-空穴对的分离效率, 从而使复合材料表现出较高的光催化活性. 当Cu₂O的表面修饰量为1.5%(w)时, 复合光催化剂降解MB的活性与纯γ-Bi₂MoO₆相比提高了6.4倍.