Active faceted Cu2O hollow nanospheres for unprecedented adsorption and visible-light degradation of pollutants

Shape-dependent synthesis and photocatalytic degradation by Cu2O nanocrystals: Kinetics and photocatalytic mechanism

In this study, Cu2O crystals with different morphologies were synthesized to investigate the effect of exposed crystalline facets on photocatalytic degradation efficiency. By adjusting the addition amount of PVP, different morphologies of Cu2O crystals were obtained, such as cubic, decahedral, octahedral, etc. XRD, SEM, and TEM characterizations were used to observe the properties of the synthesized Cu2O in terms of morphology, size, and lattice structure. The results showed that the octahedral cuprous oxide had the strongest photocatalytic degradation effect (78.3%). The study also explored the connection between different crystalline facets and MO microstructure, and the effect of crystalline facet selectivity on the pre-absorption and photocatalytic degradation of MO. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were used to investigate the connection between the energy level structure of different crystalline facets of Cu2O and its photocatalytic activity. Finally, based on the experimental analysis and theoretical calculation, a new charge separation model on crystalline surface was proposed.

Exfoliation of 2D materials by saponin in water: Aerogel adsorption / photodegradation organic dye

The biggest challenge for the paint industry is to clean the contaminated waste dye solution before it released into the water or to reuse it to create new paint and to protect the water from environmental pollution. Here in this work, exfoliating layered transition metal dichalcogenide materials prepare to the exfoliated 2D materials thin sheets in water with the assistance of natural saponin. Then, the three-dimensional (3D) MoS₂-aerogel composite was synthesized by using greenway exfoliated two-dimensional (2D) MoS₂ thin sheets to form MoS₂-aerogel composite. The prepared 3D MoS₂-aerogel composite demonstrates excellent 94% methylene blue (MB) dye adsorption ability over 5 min. Moreover, the adsorbed MB of the MoS₂-aerogel shows ∼80% dye degradation activity in the presence of visible light. Therefore, these synthesized 3D MoS₂-aerogel composite could be an excellent candidate for photocatalytic applications in the future.

Spatial charge separation and high-index facet dependence in polyhedral Cu2O type-II surface heterojunctions for photocatalytic activity enhancement

Polyhedral 30-faceted Cu₂O microcrystal exposed with a {332}–{001} type-II surface heterojunction was synthesized, which displayed an efficient spatial charge separation and high-index facet dependence for photocatalytic activity enhancement.

Cu2O as an emerging semiconductor in photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic treatment of water contaminated with organic substances: a review

A wide range of semiconductor photocatalysts have been used over the years in water treatment to eliminate toxic organic substances from wastewater. The quest for visible or solar light driven photocatalysts with striking merits such as wide range of applications, ease of preparation, tailored architecture that gives rise to improved performance, ability of dual existence as both p type or n type semiconductor, among others, presents copper(i) oxide as a promising photocatalyst. This paper reviews the recent applications of Cu2O in photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic treatment of water laden with organic pollutants such as dyes and pharmaceuticals. It covers the various modes of synthesis, morphologies and composites or heterostructures of Cu2O as found in the literature. Concluding remarks and future perspectives on the application of Cu2O are presented.