Photocatalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol by using multicomponent Cu2O-Cu@TiO2 nanoparticle aggregates

Multicomponent nanomaterials with synergistic effect were typically used to enhance the photocatalytic performance. Herein, three-component nanomaterials composed of Cu₂O, Cu, and TiO₂ were prepared using a facile method, and applied in the photocatalytic degradation reactions. The synthetic procedure involves the formation of Cu₂O nanoparticle aggregates (NPAs) followed by Cu nanoparticles growth on the surface of Cu₂O NPAs in one pot, and TiO₂ encapsulation (Cu₂O-Cu@TiO₂). The catalyst structure was characterized by x-ray diffraction, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersed x-ray. The catalytic performance of Cu₂O-Cu@TiO₂ NPAs was evaluated through the photocatalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol under the simulated solar light. We found that it exhibited greater activity than the Cu₂O-Cu NPAs, commercial TiO₂, and Cu₂O@TiO₂ NPAs, probably due to their synergistic interactions resulting in the effective photogenerated carrier transfer in the multicomponent nanomaterials.