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. 2020 May 27;5(22):13185-13195.
doi: 10.1021/acsomega.0c01220. eCollection 2020 Jun 9.

Hydrothermal Synthesis of the CuWO4/ZnO Composites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance

Caiying Chen  1 , Wanying Bi  1 , Zilong Xia  2 , Wenhui Yuan  1 , Li Li  3
Affiliations

Hydrothermal Synthesis of the CuWO4/ZnO Composites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance

Caiying Chen et al. ACS Omega. .

Abstract

Photocatalytic technology aiming to eliminate organic pollutants in water has been rapidly developed. In this work, we successfully synthesized CuWO4/ZnO photocatalysts with different weight ratios of CuWO4 through facile hydrothermal treatment. Crystal structures, forms, and optical properties of these as-prepared materials were investigated and analyzed. 3% CuWO4/ZnO showed the optimum photodegradation efficiency toward methylene blue under the irradiation of simulated sunlight for 120 min, the degradation rate of which was 98.9%. The pseudo-first-order rate constant of 3% CuWO4/ZnO was ∼11.3 and ∼3.5 times bigger than that of pristine CuWO4 and ZnO, respectively. Furthermore, the material exhibited high stability and reusability after five consecutive photocatalytic tests. In addition, free radical capture experiments were conducted and the possible mechanism proposed explained that the synergistic effect between CuWO4 and ZnO accelerates the photodegradation reaction. This work provides a feasible technical background for the efficient and sustainable utilization of photocatalysts in wastewater control.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
XRD (a) and the magnified XRD (b,c) patterns of the samples.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Raman spectra of CuWO4 (a) and 3% CuWO4/ZnO and ZnO (b).
Figure 3
Figure 3
SEM images of pure CuWO4 (a), ZnO (b), and 3% CuWO4/ZnO (c). EDS spectrum of 3% CuWO4/ZnO (d).
Figure 4
Figure 4
TEM images of pure ZnO (a), CuWO4 (b), and 3% CuWO4/ZnO (c); HRTEM image of 3% CuWO4/ZnO (d).
Figure 5
Figure 5
XPS spectra of 3% CuWO4/ZnO: full spectra (a), Zn 2p (b), O 1s (c), and W 4f (d).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms (a) and the pore size distribution curves (b) of the samples.
Figure 7
Figure 7
DRS (a) and Tauc plots (αℏν)2vs (ℏν) (b) for ZnO and CuWO4/ZnO composites.
Figure 8
Figure 8
PL spectra of ZnO and CuWO4/ZnO composites.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Photocatalytic degradation rate of MB (a) and kinetic linear simulation curves (b) of different samples. Recyclability of 3% CuWO4/ZnO (c) and XRD patterns of fresh and after five cycles of reactions of the 3% CuWO4/ZnO photocatalyst (d).
Figure 10
Figure 10
Photodegradation activities of MB by 3% CuWO4/ZnO in the presence of different scavengers.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Proposed photocatalytic mechanism of CuWO4/ZnO composites for degradation of MB under simulated sunlight irradiation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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