Synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic performance of 0D/2D CuO/tourmaline composite photocatalysts

Abstract

Photocatalysis is considered to be a green and promising technology for transforming organic contaminants into nontoxic products. In this work, a CuO/tourmaline composite with zero-dimensional/two-dimensional (0D/2D) CuO architecture was successfully obtained via a facile hydrothermal process, and its photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB). Surface element valence state and molecular vibration characterization revealed that CuO chemically interacted with tourmaline via Si–O–Cu bonds. The specific surface area of the CuO/tourmaline composite (23.60 m2 g−1) was larger than that of the pristine CuO sample (3.41 m2 g−1). The CuO/tourmaline composite exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of MB, which was ascribed to the increase in the quantity of the adsorption-photoreactive sites and the efficient utilization of the photoinduced charge carriers. This study provides a facile strategy for the construction of 0D/2D CuO structures and the design of tourmaline-based functional composite photocatalysts for the treatment of organic contaminants in water.

Green Synthesis of Flower-Shaped Copper Oxide and Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles via Capparis decidua Leaf Extract for Synergic Adsorption-Photocatalytic Degradation of Pesticides

“…Copper and nickel oxides nanoparticles are a promising class of photoactive nanomaterials in the scientific spotlight, due to their attractive properties. CuO and NiO have been identified as effective photocatalysts because of their ability to degrade a wide range of several organic pollutants with low cost, low toxicity, and high photostability [22,23]. NiO has a bandgap energy similar to TiO 2 of 3.5 eV [24], whereas CuO has a lower bandgap of 1.2 eV [25].…”

A novel MoS2/ tourmaline /graphene ternary composite with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic property

“…The generated •O 2was a kind of strong oxidants towards the decomposition of organic dyes [74]. Accumulated h + on the surface of photocatalyst could oxidize dyes directly [70,[75][76]. Dyes could be degraded in the presence of MoS2-T-GR composite.…”

Natural piezoelectric tourmaline mineral for piezocatalytic decomposition of organic dyes under vibration

“…Therefore, it has been reported to be used for water purification and soil remediation 40 . Spontaneous polarization can inhibit charge complexation; tourmaline can also be used to enhance photocatalytic performance 41–43 . By forming a heterogeneous composite photocatalyst with TiO 2 , it can effectively improve the performance of photocatalytic decomposition of dyes 44 .…”