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Visible light active heterostructured photocatalyst system based on CuO plate‐like particles and SnO 2 nanofibers
Author(s) -
Dursun Sami,
Kaya İsmail C.,
Kocabaş Mustafa,
Akyildiz Hasan,
Kalem Volkan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of applied ceramic technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.4
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1744-7402
pISSN - 1546-542X
DOI - 10.1111/ijac.13467
Subject(s) - photocatalysis , materials science , heterojunction , hydrothermal circulation , visible spectrum , chemical engineering , decomposition , nanofiber , methylene blue , degradation (telecommunications) , electrospinning , nanotechnology , composite material , catalysis , optoelectronics , chemistry , telecommunications , biochemistry , polymer , organic chemistry , computer science , engineering
In this study, CuO–SnO 2 p‐n type heterostructures were produced and tested for the degradation of methylene blue and 4‐nitrophenol under visible light irradiation. CuO particles were produced in plate‐like morphology using hydrothermal synthesis. SnO 2 nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning. Structural, morphological, optical and semiconducting property characterization of heterostructured CuO–SnO 2 and individual phases were performed. The photocatalytic activity was found to change depending on the amount of CuO particles in heterostructured samples. Among others, the sample with 0.35 wt.% CuO–SnO 2 showed the highest photocatalytic efficiency with a degradation rate constant ~2 h −1 . Active specie scavenger tests revealed that the decomposition reaction occurs through direct oxidation mechanism by the holes in the valence band of SnO 2 in pure samples whereas in CuO–SnO 2 samples∙ O 2 -and∙ OH radicals also form and involve in the reactions. Further, the photocatalytic degradation mechanism was revealed using relative band potentials and p‐n junctions of the heterostructured photocatalyst.