Synthesis of mesoporous sphere-like Copper(I) oxide and its enhancement of Congo red photodegradation performance and CO sensing properties

摘要

Mesoporous sphere-like Cu2O with a high specific surface area (187.2 m(2) g(-1)) was prepared using CuSO4 as a precursor and sodium ascorbate as a reducing agent, without any surfactants, for the first time. The prepared sample was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption desorption measurements. Our mesoporous sphere-like Cu2O gave a good photocatalytic performance in the degradation of Congo red under visible-light irradiation and an excellent CO-sensing response, with a limit of detection of 19 ppb. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was attributed to increased light absorption and effective charge separation as a result of the unique Cu2O structure. The enhanced response to CO is attributed to the unique structure and large surface area of the Cu2O, which greatly increase the number of adsorption sites for ionized oxygen species and enhance the reaction rate between CO molecules and the Cu2O surface. (C) 2018 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.