Aqueous-Based Synthesis of Photocatalytic Copper Sulfide Using Sulfur Waste as Sulfurizing Agent
Most of the copper sulfide synthetic approaches developed until now are still facing issues in their procedure, such as long synthesis duration, high energetic consumption, and high implementation costs. This publication reports a facile and sustainable approach for synthesizing copper sulfides on a...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-07-01
|
| Series: | Materials |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/15/5253 |
| _version_ | 1797413337818988544 |
|---|---|
| author | Gabriele Sarapajevaite Davide Morselli Kestutis Baltakys |
| author_facet | Gabriele Sarapajevaite Davide Morselli Kestutis Baltakys |
| author_sort | Gabriele Sarapajevaite |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Most of the copper sulfide synthetic approaches developed until now are still facing issues in their procedure, such as long synthesis duration, high energetic consumption, and high implementation costs. This publication reports a facile and sustainable approach for synthesizing copper sulfides on a large scale. In particular, an industrial by-product of sulfur waste was used as a sulfurizing agent for copper sulfide synthesis in a water medium. The reaction was performed in the hydrothermal environment by following a novel proposed mechanism of copper sulfide formation. The investigation of morphological and optical properties revealed that the target products obtained by using waste possess the resembling properties as the ones synthesized from the most conventional sulfurizing agent. Since the determined band gap of synthesis products varied from 1.72 to 1.81 eV, the photocatalytic properties, triggered under visible light irradiation, were also investigated by degrading the methylene blue as a model pollutant. Importantly, the degradation efficiency of the copper sulfide synthesized from sulfur waste was equivalent to a sample obtained from a reference sulfurizing agent since the value for both samples was 96% in 180 min. This very simple synthetic approach opens up a new way for large-scale sustainable production of visible-light-driven photocatalysts for water purification from organic pollutants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:16:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a988e474998c419382bd142dc1a3acb4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:16:13Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-a988e474998c419382bd142dc1a3acb42023-12-03T12:45:34ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442022-07-011515525310.3390/ma15155253Aqueous-Based Synthesis of Photocatalytic Copper Sulfide Using Sulfur Waste as Sulfurizing AgentGabriele Sarapajevaite0Davide Morselli1Kestutis Baltakys2Department of Silicate Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, Radvilenu Road 19, LT-50254 Kaunas, LithuaniaDepartment of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, Università di Bologna, Via Terracini 28, 40131 Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Silicate Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, Radvilenu Road 19, LT-50254 Kaunas, LithuaniaMost of the copper sulfide synthetic approaches developed until now are still facing issues in their procedure, such as long synthesis duration, high energetic consumption, and high implementation costs. This publication reports a facile and sustainable approach for synthesizing copper sulfides on a large scale. In particular, an industrial by-product of sulfur waste was used as a sulfurizing agent for copper sulfide synthesis in a water medium. The reaction was performed in the hydrothermal environment by following a novel proposed mechanism of copper sulfide formation. The investigation of morphological and optical properties revealed that the target products obtained by using waste possess the resembling properties as the ones synthesized from the most conventional sulfurizing agent. Since the determined band gap of synthesis products varied from 1.72 to 1.81 eV, the photocatalytic properties, triggered under visible light irradiation, were also investigated by degrading the methylene blue as a model pollutant. Importantly, the degradation efficiency of the copper sulfide synthesized from sulfur waste was equivalent to a sample obtained from a reference sulfurizing agent since the value for both samples was 96% in 180 min. This very simple synthetic approach opens up a new way for large-scale sustainable production of visible-light-driven photocatalysts for water purification from organic pollutants.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/15/5253CuSphotocatalystsdye degradationhydrothermal synthesiswaste valorization |
| spellingShingle | Gabriele Sarapajevaite Davide Morselli Kestutis Baltakys Aqueous-Based Synthesis of Photocatalytic Copper Sulfide Using Sulfur Waste as Sulfurizing Agent Materials CuS photocatalysts dye degradation hydrothermal synthesis waste valorization |
| title | Aqueous-Based Synthesis of Photocatalytic Copper Sulfide Using Sulfur Waste as Sulfurizing Agent |
| title_full | Aqueous-Based Synthesis of Photocatalytic Copper Sulfide Using Sulfur Waste as Sulfurizing Agent |
| title_fullStr | Aqueous-Based Synthesis of Photocatalytic Copper Sulfide Using Sulfur Waste as Sulfurizing Agent |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aqueous-Based Synthesis of Photocatalytic Copper Sulfide Using Sulfur Waste as Sulfurizing Agent |
| title_short | Aqueous-Based Synthesis of Photocatalytic Copper Sulfide Using Sulfur Waste as Sulfurizing Agent |
| title_sort | aqueous based synthesis of photocatalytic copper sulfide using sulfur waste as sulfurizing agent |
| topic | CuS photocatalysts dye degradation hydrothermal synthesis waste valorization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/15/5253 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gabrielesarapajevaite aqueousbasedsynthesisofphotocatalyticcoppersulfideusingsulfurwasteassulfurizingagent AT davidemorselli aqueousbasedsynthesisofphotocatalyticcoppersulfideusingsulfurwasteassulfurizingagent AT kestutisbaltakys aqueousbasedsynthesisofphotocatalyticcoppersulfideusingsulfurwasteassulfurizingagent |