CuO和Au纳米结构协同增强Cu2O立方体光催化活性和稳定性

氧化亚铜(Cu_2O)是一种重要的P型半导体,并且具有无毒、廉价和易于控制合成等优点,被广泛应用于光催化领域.然而,低的光催化性能极大地限制了它的应用,特别是氧化亚铜立方体表面存在的障碍层严重阻碍了光生载流子传输,导致其几乎没有光催化活性.构建异质结构是提高氧化亚铜光催化性能的有效手段,然而,目前氧化亚铜异质结构的光催化性能和稳定性仍然需要大幅地提高.我们的前期研究发现,通过乙二胺在氧化亚铜表面轻微氧化刻蚀形成CuO/Cu_2O异质结构,在提高一定的光催化活性的同时能够大幅提高其稳定性.另外,在氧化亚铜表面负载金纳米颗粒也能够有效地增强氧化亚铜的光催化性能.因此,协同氧化铜和金纳米颗粒应该能够同时大幅地提高氧化亚铜的光催化活性和稳定性.本文利用乙二胺对氧化亚铜立方体进行轻微的氧化刻蚀,然后光还原负载金纳米颗粒,成功地制备了Au/CuO/Cu_2O异质结构. TEM和SEM结果表明,氧化铜和金纳米结构随机均匀地分散在氧化亚铜表面. XPS数据表明, Au/CuO/Cu_2O异质结构表面的二价铜主要来自生成的氧化铜纳米结构.表面残存的N元素表明,氧化铜由一价铜与乙二胺形成的配合物转变而来.在可见光下光催化降解甲基橙实验结果显示, Au/CuO/Cu_2O异质结构的光降解速率大幅地提高.通过表观量子效率的估算发现, Au/CuO/Cu_2O异质结构光催化活性是纯Cu_2O的123倍, Au/Cu_2O的5.4倍.光电流测试中, Au/CuO/Cu_2O异质结构的光电流也都明显高于Cu_2O, Au/Cu_2O和CuO/Cu_2O.不仅如此, Au/CuO/Cu_2O异质结构在8个循环后还能维持80%的光催化活性,远高于Au/Cu_2O的5个循环.由此可见, Au/CuO/Cu_2O异质结构具有增强的光催化活性和稳定性.通过电子顺磁共振(ESR)自由基测试发现,光催化降解过程中,羟基自由基是主要的氧化物种,而且Au/CuO/Cu_2O异质结构的自由基信号强度明显高于Cu_2O和CuO/Cu_2O,这也说明金和氧化铜的双异质结构提高了体系载流子分离效率. PL数据进一步证实了这一结论.另外,比表面积和暗吸附实验数据表明,轻微的表面积增加不会显著地改变三元异质结构的吸附和光催化性能.根据UV-Vis和价带XPS数据,我们认为轻微光吸收变化和价带改变不会显著影响异质结构的光催化活性.因此,金和氧化铜纳米结构协同增强光生载流子分离效率,是提高氧化亚铜光催化活性的主要原因.首先, Au/Cu_2O异质结构通过肖特基结和金颗粒的表面等离子共振效应提高光生载流子的分离效率.其次,氧化铜纳米结构不仅能与氧化亚铜形成II型异质结构,而且还能够作为保护层提高氧化亚铜的稳定性.另外,氧化铜纳米结构生成过程中去除了表面障碍层,减少空穴在氧化亚铜上的累积,进而提高氧化亚铜的稳定性.总之,氧化铜和金纳米结构的协同效应显著提高了体系的光催化活性和稳定性.     

脉冲沉积制备Cu2O/TiO2纳米管异质结的可见光光催化性能

在用阳极氧化法制备有序排列TiO₂纳米管阵列薄膜的基础上,引入脉冲沉积工艺,成功实现了均匀、弥散分布的Cu₂O纳米颗粒修饰改性TiO₂纳米管阵列,形成Cu₂O/TiO₂ 纳米管异质结复合材料. 利用场发射扫描电镜（FESEM）、场发射透射电镜（FETEM）、X射线衍射（XRD）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）和紫外-可见漫反射光谱（UV-Vis DRS）对样品进行表征,重点研究了Cu₂O/TiO₂ 纳米管异质结的光电化学特性和对甲基橙（MO）的可见光催化降解性能. 结果表明,Cu₂O纳米颗粒均匀附着在TiO₂纳米管阵列的管口和中部位置,所制备的Cu₂O/TiO₂ 纳米管异质结具有高效的可见光光催化性能;在浓度为0.01 mol·L^-1的CuSO₄溶液中制得的Cu₂O/TiO₂纳米管异质结表现出最好的电化学特性和光催化性能;另外,对Cu₂O纳米颗粒影响光催化活性的机理进行了讨论.     

表面稳定单质铜的介孔二氧化钛的光催化产氢性能

采用十二烷基硫醇作为保护剂有效地稳定住了光催化过程中介孔二氧化钛(m-TiO₂)表面原位生成的Cu⁰物种。通过X射线衍射,X射线光电子能谱,高分辨透射电镜,高角环形暗场扫描透射电镜等手段对催化剂的组成结构进行了表征,发现催化剂中仅有Cu⁰物种存在。在紫外光照射下,以甲醛水溶液为牺牲试剂测试了Cu⁰物种对介孔二氧化钛产氢性能的影响,发现适量的Cu⁰纳米颗粒能够极大地提高介孔二氧化钛的产氢性能。当Cu⁰的物质的量分数为1.0%时,Cu⁰/m-TiO₂表现出最高的产氢速率,为725μmol·h^-1·g^-1。该样品中Cu⁰纳米颗粒的尺寸为(4.2±0.9)nm。此外,通过气相色谱检测到产生的H₂和CO₂的物质的量之比为2:1,表明部分氢气来自于水分解。     

Z型Ag-Cu2O/BiVO4光催化剂的光催化还原CO2性能

利用简单的化学还原沉积法将 Cu₂O纳米球和 Ag纳米颗粒均匀包裹在十面体 BiVO₄表面,成功构建了一种具有高效电荷载流子分离/转移特性的Z型异质结光催化剂Ag-Cu₂O/BiVO₄。Ag-Cu₂O/BiVO₄在可见光下光催化CO₂还原为CO的产率可达5.37 μmol·g^-1·h^-1,分别是纯 BiVO₄和 Cu₂O的 35.80倍和 6.30倍。通过 X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线能谱(EDS)、紫外可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)、光致发光(PL)光谱、瞬态光电流响应(TPC)和电化学阻抗谱(EIS)对 Ag-Cu₂O/BiVO₄的晶体结构、形貌、组成、能带结构和吸光能力等进行了系统表征分析,并提出了其光催化体系还原CO₂的催化机理。     

Z型Ag-Cu2O/BiVO4光催化剂的光催化还原CO2性能

利用简单的化学还原沉积法将Cu₂O纳米球和Ag纳米颗粒均匀包裹在十面体BiVO₄表面,成功构建了一种具有高效电荷载流子分离/转移特性的Z型异质结光催化剂Ag-Cu₂O/BiVO₄。Ag-Cu₂O/BiVO₄在可见光下光催化CO₂还原为CO的产率可达5.37 μmol·g^-1·h^-1,分别是纯BiVO₄和Cu₂O的35.8倍和6.25倍。通过X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线能谱(EDS)、紫外可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)、光致发光(PL)光谱、瞬态光电流响应(TPC)和电化学阻抗谱(EIS)对Ag-Cu₂O/BiVO₄的晶体结构、形貌、组成、能带结构和吸光能力等进行了系统表征分析,并提出了其光催化体系还原CO₂的催化机理。     

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。     

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.     

偏压控制Cu2O和Cu在TiO2表面的生长及其光电化学性质

基于TiO₂/Ti 电极在含Cu²⁺溶液中的循环伏安图,调节电沉积的沉积电压,我们在TiO₂平整表面制备出Cu₂O和/或Cu颗粒. 通过扫描电镜（SEM）、X射线衍射（XRD）和X射线光电子能谱（XPS）表征,发现Cu₂O和Cu有不同的生长机制：Cu₂O颗粒在TiO₂表面分散结晶,而Cu颗粒是在已生长的颗粒上成核,从而形成堆积颗粒结构. 这是由于在Cu₂O/TiO₂界面和Cu/TiO₂界面形成不同的能带结构,使得电子的转移方式不同. 与纯TiO₂光阳极比较,可以观察到Cu₂O/TiO₂和Cu/TiO₂异质结构的光电流均有显著增强. 特别地,存在一个电压区间使得Cu₂O和Cu同时生长在TiO₂表面,此时对应的光电流比较稳定并且能达到最大. 紫外-可见（UV-Vis）漫反射光谱、电化学阻抗谱（EIS）和光电流-电压特性曲线均显示,Cu₂O和Cu明显有助于光的可见光吸收,同时Cu/TiO₂在光电转换过程中显示更宽波段的可见光利用率. 此外,开路电压的增加、有效的电荷分离和电极/电解质界面上载流子的快速迁移也增强了材料的光电化学性质.     

盐酸溶液处理钒酸铋增强可见光催化活性及其机理

采用盐酸水溶液处理BiVO₄ 的方法获得增强的光催化活性. 在0.1 mol·L^-1 酸溶液中浸渍反应6 h,BiVO₄ 的可见光催化降解苯酚的活性提高了3.5 倍. 采用X 射线衍射(XRD), 扫描电镜(TEM)和漫反射光谱(DRS)等表征手段研究处理后样品的晶相组成和表面形貌, 结合不同酸和氯化物处理的对照实验, 结果表明,在H⁺和Cl^-的协同作用下, BiVO₄表面部分溶出并以BiOCl 沉积, 形成了表面具有凹陷沟壑的BiVO₄颗粒与片状结构BiOCl 的复合物. 采用悬浮液光电压法测定BiOCl 平带电位, 通过BiVO₄和BiOCl 的能带分析及其混合颗粒的光催化活性测试, 确证二者间不存在颗粒间电子转移效应. 增强的光催化活性主要归因于BiVO₄表面形成了有助于光生电荷迁移的凹凸不平结构. 这种表面处理方法有望成为一种增强半导体化合物光催化活性的有效途径.     

高比表面介孔LaNiO3负载纳米Au催化剂的研究

分别采用纳米铸型法和溶胶-凝胶法制备了系列LaNiO₃载体,并用沉积-沉淀法制备了系列Au/LaNiO₃催化剂.对催化剂进行了XRD、BET、AAS、TEM和XPS等表征,测试了其对CO催化氧化活性.实验结果表明,纳米铸型法得到的LaNiO₃-NCM具有介孔结构,且比表面积可达126 m²·g^-1,以其为载体制备的Au/LaNiO₃-NCM催化剂在30℃条件下将CO完全转化,活性远高于以传统溶胶-凝胶法制备的LaNiO₃-SG为载体的金催化剂.XPS结果表明该Au/LaNiO₃-NCM催化剂表面存在较多的氧化态Au^δ+（0 < δ < 3）和晶格氧,且活性组分Au含量也较高,说明高比表面介孔LaNiO₃载体有利于提高活性组分Au的负载量,从而提高催化剂催化活性.     

Synthesis of Hollow Mesoporous TiO2 Microspheres with Single and Double Au Nanoparticle Layers for Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalysis

A facile method was used to prepare hollow mesoporous TiO₂ and Au@TiO₂ spheres using polystyrene (PS) templates. Au nanoparticles (NPs) were simultaneously synthesized and attached on the surface of PS spheres by reducing AuCl₄^? ions using sodium citrate which resulted in the uniform deposition of Au NPs. The outer coating of titania via sol‐gel produced PS@Au@TiO₂ core–shell spheres. Removing the templates from these core–shell spheres through calcination produced hollow mesoporous and crystalline Au@TiO₂ spheres with Au NPs inside the TiO₂ shell in a single step. Anatase spheres with double Au NPs layers, one inside and another outside of TiO₂ shell, were also prepared. Different characterization techniques indicated the hollow mesoporous and crystalline morphology of the prepared spheres with Au NPs. Hollow anatase spheres with Au NPs indicated enhanced harvesting of visible light and therefore demonstrated efficient catalytic activity toward the degradation of organic dyes under the irradiation of visible light as compared to bare TiO₂ spheres.     

Plasmon-enhanced photocatalytic properties of cu(2)o nanowire-au nanoparticle assemblies

Cu(2)O-Au nanocomposites (NCs) with tunable coverage of Au were prepared by a facile method of mixing gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with copper(I) oxide nanowires (Cu(2)O NWs) in various ratios. These Cu(2)O-Au NCs display tunable optical properties, and their photocatalytic properties were dependent on the coverage density of Au NPs. The photocatalytic activity of Cu(2)O-Au NCs was examined by photodegradation of methylene blue. The presence of Au NPs enhanced the photodegradation efficiency of Cu(2)O NCs. The photocatalytic efficiency of Cu(2)O-Au NCs initially increased with the increasing coverage density of Au NPs and then decreased as the surface of Cu(2)O became densely covered by Au NPs. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency was ascribed to enhanced light absorption (by the surface plasmon resonance) and the electron sink effect of the Au NPs.     

Mesoporous titania photocatalyst: effect of relative humidity and aging on the preparation of mesoporous titania and on its photocatalytic activity performance

Mesoporous TiO₂ has been synthesized by the sol–gel method, using a nonionic triblock copolymer P123 as surfactant template under acidic conditions. The as-prepared samples were characterized by thermogravimetry–differential thermal analysis (TG–DTA), nitrogen absorption–desorption (BET), field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the mesoporous TiO₂ was evaluated by degradation of methylene blue under high-intensity UV light irradiation; the amount of methylene blue was measured by UV–visible spectroscopy. TG–DTA analysis revealed that the surfactant had been removed partly in as-synthesized samples. BET analysis proved that all the samples retained mesoporosity with a narrow pore-size distribution (4.5–6.3 nm) and high surface area (103–200 m²/g). All calcined mesoporous TiO₂ had high photocatalytic activity in the photodegradation of methylene blue.     

Au/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Graphene Composite with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity Under Both UV and Visible Light Irradiation

Au/TiO₂/graphene composite was synthesized by the combination of electrostatic attraction and photo-reduction method. In the composite, graphene sheets act as an adsorption site for dye molecules to provide a high concentration of dye near to the TiO₂ and Au nanoparticles (NPs), and work as an excellent electron transporter to separate photoinduced e ^?/h ⁺ pairs. Under UV irradiation, photogenerated electrons of TiO₂ are transferred effectively to Au NPs and graphene sheets, respectively, retarding the recombination of electron–hole pairs. Under visible light irradiation, the Au NPs are photo-excited due to the surface plasmon resonance effect, and charge separation is accomplished by the interfacial electron injection from the Au NPs to the conduction band of TiO₂ and then transfer further to graphene sheets. As a result, compared with pure TiO₂, Au/TiO₂/graphene composite exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity for degradation of methylene blue under both UV and visible light irradiation, based on the synergistic effect of Au, graphene in contact with TiO₂, allowing response to the visible light, effective separation of photoinduced charges, and better adsorption of the dye molecules.     

Constructing Ordered Three‐Dimensional TiO2 Channels for Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Performance in CO2 Conversion Induced by Au Nanoparticles

As a typical photocatalyst for CO₂ reduction, practical applications of TiO₂ still suffer from low photocatalytic efficiency and limited visible‐light absorption. Herein, a novel Au‐nanoparticle (NP)‐decorated ordered mesoporous TiO₂ (OMT) composite (OMT‐Au) was successfully fabricated, in which Au NPs were uniformly dispersed on the OMT. Due to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect derived from the excited Au NPs, the TiO₂ shows high photocatalytic performance for CO₂ reduction under visible light. The ordered mesoporous TiO₂ exhibits superior material and structure, with a high surface area that offers more catalytically active sites. More importantly, the three‐dimensional transport channels ensure the smooth flow of gas molecules, highly efficient CO₂ adsorption, and the fast and steady transmission of hot electrons excited from the Au NPs, which lead to a further improvement in the photocatalytic performance. These results highlight the possibility of improving the photocatalysis for CO₂ reduction under visible light by constructing OMT‐based Au‐SPR‐induced photocatalysts.     

Simple spectrophotocolorimetric method for quantitative determination of gold in nanoparticles

A simple spectrophotocolorimetric method devoted to the measurement of gold content in nanoparticles (NPs) was developed. It includes two steps: (i) metal gold NPs (Au NPs) are oxidized into the AuCl₄⁻ anion using a 5 × 10⁻² M HCl-1.5 × 10⁻² M NaCl-7 × 10⁻⁴ M Br₂ solution, next (ii) AuCl₄⁻ concentration is measured using a spectrophotometric assay based on the reaction of AuCl₄⁻ with the cationic form of Rhodamine B to give a violet ion pair complex. This latter is extracted with diisopropyl ether and the absorbance of the organic complex is measured at 565 nm. The method is linear in the range 6-29 μM of AuCl₄⁻ with a limit of detection of 4.5 μM.The analytical method was optimized with respect of bromine excess to obtain complete Au NPs oxidation. The method was applied to two types of Au NPs currently under investigation: citrate-stabilized Au NPs and Au NPs capped with dihydrolipoic acid (Au@DHLA). Both the gold content of Au NPs and the concentration of NPs (using NP diameter measured by transmission electron microscopy) have been calculated.     

Synergistic effects of CuO and Au nanodomains on Cu2O cubes for improving photocatalytic activity and stability

Cu₂O is a promising photocatalyst, but it suffers from poor photocatalytic activity and stability, especially for Cu₂O cubes. Herein, we report the deposition of CuO and Au nanodomains on Cu₂O cubes to form dual surface heterostructures (HCs) to improve photocatalytic activity and stability. The apparent quantum efficiency of Au/CuO/Cu₂O HCs was ca. 123 times that of pristine Cu₂O. In addition, the Au/CuO/Cu₂O HCs maintained nearly 80% of its original activity after eight cycles in contrast to five cycles for the Au/Cu₂O material. Therefore, CuO and Au domains greatly improved the photocatalytic activity and stability of the Cu₂O cubes due to the synergistic effect of the HCs.     

pH‐Switchable Redox Reactions and Bioelectrocatalytic Processes Using Au Nanoparticles‐Modified Electrodes

Boronate ester complexes generated between methylene blue (MB⁺)‐functionalized Au nanoparticles (NPs) and electrode surfaces are implemented to stimulate the bioelectrocatalyzed reduction of H₂O₂ in the presence of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Two kinds of Au NPs are prepared: Class I includes MB⁺/phenylboronic acid as a modifying layer, whereas Class II includes MB⁺/dithiothreitol as a mixed capping layer. The Class I or II NPs form boronate ester complexes with a dithiothreitol‐ or phenylboronic acid‐functionalized Au electrodes, respectively. By the cyclic loading of the NPs on the electrodes (pH 8.1), and the removal of the NPs (pH 1.5), switchable bioelectrocatalyzed reduction of H₂O₂ is demonstrated.     

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.     

Cuprous oxide nanospheres as probes for light scattering imaging analysis of live cells and for conformation identification of proteins

A facile solution-phase synthesis route of highly uniform Cu₂O nanospheres (Cu₂O NPs) with the size of 57.7 ± 4.7 nm was developed, and then the nanoparticles were applied to live cell imaging under a common dark-field microscope. Starting from copper(II) salts, the synthesis of Cu₂O NPs was made in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) by reducing the copper(II) with sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) in aqueous medium and by aging process in the air. Monitoring of morphology evolution process of Cu₂O NPs with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and measuring of the UV-visible spectra showed that the synthesis of Cu₂O NPs follows the reduction-oxidation coupled process of Cu²⁺ into Cu⁰ species at first and then the resulted Cu⁰ species into Cu₂O NPs in the air. Light scattering (LS) features have been measured with a common spectrofluorometer and a common dark-field microscope, and it was found that the as-prepared Cu₂O NPs display strong blue scattering light and can be applied for cell imaging. If incubated with human bone marrow neuroblastoma, transferrin-conjugated Cu₂O NPs can get into the cells and show strong pure blue light in cytoplasm. Further investigations showed that the Cu₂O NPs could be applied for probes for conformation of proteins.