Summary: | Sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation is an effective and eco-friendly technology for the removal of organic pollutants from contaminated water. Herein, we describe the one-step synthesis of Cu-Cu<sub>2</sub>O-Cu<sub>3</sub>N nanoparticle mixtures using a novel non-aqueous, sol-gel route and their application in the solar-driven photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. The crystalline structure and morphology were investigated with XRD, SEM and TEM. The optical properties of the as-prepared photocatalysts were investigated with Raman, FTIR, UV-Vis and photoluminescence spectroscopies. The influence of the phase proportions of Cu, Cu<sub>2</sub>O and Cu<sub>3</sub>N in the nanoparticle mixtures on the photocatalytic activity was also investigated. Overall, the sample containing the highest quantity of Cu<sub>3</sub>N exhibits the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency (95%). This enhancement is attributed to factors such as absorption range broadening, increased specific surface of the photocatalysts and the downward band bending in the p-type semiconductors, i.e., Cu<sub>3</sub>N and Cu<sub>2</sub>O. Two different catalytic dosages were studied, i.e., 5 mg and 10 mg. The higher catalytic dosage exhibited lower photocatalytic degradation efficiency owing to the increase in the turbidity of the solution.
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