A novel fabrication of Cu{sub 2}O@Cu{sub 7}S{sub 4} core-shell micro/nanocrystals from Cu{sub 2}O temples and enhanced photocatalytic activities

Journal Article · Mon Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Materials Research Bulletin

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MATERRESBULL.2016.04.004· OSTI ID:22581597

Li, Junqi; Sun, Long; Yan, Ying; Zhu, Zhenfeng

Highlights: • The Cu{sub 2}O@Cu{sub 7}S{sub 4} core-shell crystals maintained the same morphology with template. • The crystals exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity than the pure Cu{sub 2}O crystals. • The photocatalytic activity of different R crystals is diverse from each other. • A possible formation mechanism has been proposed. - Abstract: Uniform and monodispersed Cu{sub 2}O@Cu{sub 7}S{sub 4} core-shell micro/nanocrystals have been synthesized successfully at room temperature via a simple chemical etching reaction, using Cu{sub 2}O as sacrificial template. The structure and properties of the crystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). The photocatalytic activity of the Cu{sub 2}O@Cu{sub 7}S{sub 4} crystals was evaluated by photocatalytic decolorization of MeO (methyl orange) aqueous solution at ambient temperature under visible-light irradiation. The results show that the as-prepared Cu{sub 2}O@Cu{sub 7}S{sub 4} crystals revealed core-shell structure, which maintained the same morphology with corresponding template and were composed of cuboctahedron Cu{sub 7}S{sub 4} shell and active Cu{sub 2}O core. Due to the unique Cu{sub 2}O@Cu{sub 7}S{sub 4} core-shell structure, the crystals exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity than that of the pure Cu{sub 2}O crystals, and the photocatalytic activity of different R crystals is diverse from each other. A possible formation mechanism has been proposed.

• OSTI ID: 22581597
• Journal Information: Materials Research Bulletin, Vol. 80; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2016 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

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
COPPER OXIDES
COPPER SULFIDES
CRYSTAL GROWTH
CRYSTALS
ETCHING
IRRADIATION
METHYL ORANGE
MICROSTRUCTURE
MORPHOLOGY
NANOSTRUCTURES
PHOTOCATALYSIS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY