Evaluation of the Photocatalytic Properties of Copper Oxides/Graphene/TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles Composites
Easy and cost-efficient modifications of titanium dioxide nanoparticles that improve their efficiency in the visible light domain represent a continuous and challenging research topic. In addition, the effect of graphene on the overall photocatalytic process is still debated. Consequently, herein, w...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-09-01
|
| Series: | Molecules |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/18/5803 |
| _version_ | 1797484325435867136 |
|---|---|
| author | Dragos Cosma Alexandra Urda Teodora Radu Marcela C. Rosu Maria Mihet Crina Socaci |
| author_facet | Dragos Cosma Alexandra Urda Teodora Radu Marcela C. Rosu Maria Mihet Crina Socaci |
| author_sort | Dragos Cosma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Easy and cost-efficient modifications of titanium dioxide nanoparticles that improve their efficiency in the visible light domain represent a continuous and challenging research topic. In addition, the effect of graphene on the overall photocatalytic process is still debated. Consequently, herein, we prepared a series of TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticle-based composites with different copper oxide mass content (1–3%) and co-doped with graphene of different oxidation degrees. Different characterization techniques were used to analyze the structural and physico-chemical properties of the obtained composites: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)/Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)/Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic performance was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue under both UVA and visible light irradiation. The nanocomposites show very good photocatalytic activity independent of the presence of reduced graphene oxide, due to the Cu<sub>2</sub>O/CuO-TiO<sub>2</sub> heterojunctions. This finding has been confirmed by the very efficient visible-light-driven degradation of amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:02:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4436bafdaee04695bff0e7ae19dfd6d1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:02:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-4436bafdaee04695bff0e7ae19dfd6d12023-11-23T17:59:09ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492022-09-012718580310.3390/molecules27185803Evaluation of the Photocatalytic Properties of Copper Oxides/Graphene/TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles CompositesDragos Cosma0Alexandra Urda1Teodora Radu2Marcela C. Rosu3Maria Mihet4Crina Socaci5National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies—INCDTIM, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaNational Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies—INCDTIM, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaNational Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies—INCDTIM, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaNational Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies—INCDTIM, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaNational Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies—INCDTIM, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaNational Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies—INCDTIM, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaEasy and cost-efficient modifications of titanium dioxide nanoparticles that improve their efficiency in the visible light domain represent a continuous and challenging research topic. In addition, the effect of graphene on the overall photocatalytic process is still debated. Consequently, herein, we prepared a series of TiO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticle-based composites with different copper oxide mass content (1–3%) and co-doped with graphene of different oxidation degrees. Different characterization techniques were used to analyze the structural and physico-chemical properties of the obtained composites: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)/Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)/Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The photocatalytic performance was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue under both UVA and visible light irradiation. The nanocomposites show very good photocatalytic activity independent of the presence of reduced graphene oxide, due to the Cu<sub>2</sub>O/CuO-TiO<sub>2</sub> heterojunctions. This finding has been confirmed by the very efficient visible-light-driven degradation of amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/18/5803copper oxides-TiO<sub>2</sub>-graphene compositemethylene blue UVA photodegradationCu<sub>2</sub>O/CuO-TiO<sub>2</sub> heterojunction |
| spellingShingle | Dragos Cosma Alexandra Urda Teodora Radu Marcela C. Rosu Maria Mihet Crina Socaci Evaluation of the Photocatalytic Properties of Copper Oxides/Graphene/TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles Composites Molecules copper oxides-TiO<sub>2</sub>-graphene composite methylene blue UVA photodegradation Cu<sub>2</sub>O/CuO-TiO<sub>2</sub> heterojunction |
| title | Evaluation of the Photocatalytic Properties of Copper Oxides/Graphene/TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles Composites |
| title_full | Evaluation of the Photocatalytic Properties of Copper Oxides/Graphene/TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles Composites |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of the Photocatalytic Properties of Copper Oxides/Graphene/TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles Composites |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of the Photocatalytic Properties of Copper Oxides/Graphene/TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles Composites |
| title_short | Evaluation of the Photocatalytic Properties of Copper Oxides/Graphene/TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles Composites |
| title_sort | evaluation of the photocatalytic properties of copper oxides graphene tio sub 2 sub nanoparticles composites |
| topic | copper oxides-TiO<sub>2</sub>-graphene composite methylene blue UVA photodegradation Cu<sub>2</sub>O/CuO-TiO<sub>2</sub> heterojunction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/18/5803 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dragoscosma evaluationofthephotocatalyticpropertiesofcopperoxidesgraphenetiosub2subnanoparticlescomposites AT alexandraurda evaluationofthephotocatalyticpropertiesofcopperoxidesgraphenetiosub2subnanoparticlescomposites AT teodoraradu evaluationofthephotocatalyticpropertiesofcopperoxidesgraphenetiosub2subnanoparticlescomposites AT marcelacrosu evaluationofthephotocatalyticpropertiesofcopperoxidesgraphenetiosub2subnanoparticlescomposites AT mariamihet evaluationofthephotocatalyticpropertiesofcopperoxidesgraphenetiosub2subnanoparticlescomposites AT crinasocaci evaluationofthephotocatalyticpropertiesofcopperoxidesgraphenetiosub2subnanoparticlescomposites |