Controllable growth and photocatalytic activity of Cu{sub 2}O solid microspheres
Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • 3 μm uniform Cu{sub 2}O solid microspheres with abundant nanopores are achieved. • NH{sub 2}OH·HCl and SDS are main factors that manipulate morphologies of Cu{sub 2}O particles. • Surface features of microspheres influenced the photocatalytic activity of Cu{sub 2}O. • Microspheres are transforming to polyhedrons with extended holding time. - Abstract: A series of Cu{sub 2}O solid microspheres with different surface features were prepared and their photocatalytic activities were studied. The experiment conditions were investigated and the formation mechanism was explored systematically. It was found that varying the amounts of NH{sub 2}OH·HCl reductant in alkaline solutions changed the reaction process and thus altered the surface features of Cu{sub 2}O microspheres. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant, introduced as a morphology directing agent, caused the nuclei aggregation and growth process of Cu{sub 2}O solid microspheres by precisely realizing the opposite charges’ directional attraction. This SDS-mediated method can be readily extended to synthesizing solid microspheres of other metal oxides. Meanwhile, it was found that Cu{sub 2}O solid microspheres with abundant nanopores on the surface showed much higher efficient catalytic activity for decoloring methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution than with other surface features under visible light irradiation. Furthermore, we found that prolonging the holding time made Cu{sub 2}O microspheres transform to polyhedrons.
- OSTI ID:
- 22341785
- Journal Information:
- Materials Research Bulletin, Vol. 48, Issue 9; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2013 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0025-5408
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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