Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026
Harvesting Solar Energy by Means of Charge-Separating Nanocrystals and Their Solids
Published on: August 23, 2012
Cu-Cu2O-TiO2 nanojunction systems with an unusual electron-hole transportation pathway and enhanced photocatalytic
Jun Xing1, Zu Peng Chen, Fang Yuan Xiao
1Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
Abstract:
Multicomponent Cu-Cu2O-TiO2 nanojunction systems were successfully synthesized by a mild chemical process, and their structure and composition were thoroughly analyzed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The as-prepared Cu-Cu2O-TiO2 (3 and 9 h) nanojunctions demonstrated higher photocatalytic activities under UV/Vis light irradiation in the process of the degradation of organic compounds than those of the Cu-Cu2O, Cu-TiO2, and Cu2O-TiO2 starting materials. Moreover, time-resolved photoluminescence spectra demonstrated that the quenching times of electrons and holes in Cu-Cu2O-TiO2 (3 h) is higher than that of Cu-Cu2O-TiO2 (9 h); this leads to a better photocatalytic performance of Cu-Cu2O-TiO2 (3 h). The improvement in photodegradation activity and electron-hole separation of Cu-Cu2O-TiO2 (3 h) can be ascribed to the rational coupling of components and dimensional control. Meanwhile, an unusual electron-hole transmission pathway for photocatalytic reactions over Cu-Cu2O-TiO2 nanojunctions was also identified.
