CuO@ZnO core-shell nanocomposites: Novel hydrothermal synthesis and enhancement in photocatalytic property

چکیده مقاله

The efficient charge separation and interfacial charge transfer in the semiconductors are of great sig- nificance to photocatalytic performance. Herein, we report a facile and cost-effective synthesis of the CuO@ZnO core-shell nanocomposites with the aim to enhance the catalytic activity of ZnO in photo- degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation. Using a simple two-step hydrothermal method, CuO nanostructures with different thicknesses are grown on ZnO nanoparticles (0.4, 2, 10 and 50% with respect to the ratio of initial molar concentrations of copper to zinc). Significant improvement in the photocatalytic efficiency was observed with utilizing 0.4 and 2%CuO@ZnO nanocomposites compared to the pristine ZnO nanoparticles. The structural and optical properties of the as-prepared samples were investigated by XRD and DRS analysis, respectively. Further, the morphology of the as- synthesized nanostructures was studied by FESEM and TEM imaging, and the high purity and the characteristic functional groups of the final products were also explored using EDX and FTIR spectros- copies, respectively.