TITLE:
Synthesis of CuOx/MnO2 Heterostructures with Enhanced Visible Light-Driven Photocatalytic Activity
AUTHORS:
Tao Yu, Yangang Sun, Cui Zhe, Wei Wang, Pinhua Rao
KEYWORDS:
CuOx/MnO2 Heterostructures, Hydrothermal Method, Chemical Both/Calcination Route, Photocatalytic Activity
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering,
Vol.5 No.10,
October
27,
2017
ABSTRACT: Organic pollutants coming from various industry processes are harmful to the environment, and semiconductor heterostructure is a promising candidate catalyst for poisonous wastewater treatment in the future. In this study, CuOx/MnO2 heterostructures were successfully constructed, using a facile and effective hydrothermal method and chemical both/calcination route, which exhibited higher photocatalytic activity towards the photodegradation of organic contaminants under visible-light driven irradiation. The resulting CuOx/MnO2 heterostructures were systematically characterized using various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Morphological characterizations show that the CuOx nanoparticles are well anchored on the surface of the MnO2 nanowires (NMs). The photocatalytic activity enhancement of the CuOx/MnO2 heterostructures (M-4) could be ascribed to the introduction of CuOx on the surface of MnO2 NWs and the efficient separation of the electron-hole pairs compared to other CuOx/MnO2 heterostructures and pure MnO2 NMs. These results show that CuOx/MnO2 heterostructures can be a suitable candidate for efficient visible light photocatalysts.