Synthesis of CuO nanoparticles for catalytic application via ultrasound-assisted ball milling

In this study, copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles were successfully prepared by ultrasound-assisted ball milling at a low temperature using Cu(CH3COO)2 as raw material. The as-prepared CuO nanocrystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, UV-visible spectrophotometer and fluorescence measurements. The results confirmed that the obtained product was single phase CuO with the average particle size of about 20 nm. The catalytic activity of the sample was testified by quantifying the degradation of the methylene blue and rhodamine B aqueous solutions with the assistance of H2O2. The experiments showed that the catalytic performance of CuO, i.e. degradation of methylene blue and rhodamine B aqueous solutions, reached 100% and 98% within 25 min, respectively. In addition, the results of the relative content of ·OH radicals in the aqueous solution proved that the coupling of ultrasound and ball milling remarkably accelerated the chemical reaction