Issue 9, 2021

Studies on the substrate-dependent photocatalytic properties of Cu2O heterojunctions

Abstract

Cu2O is a promising material for photocatalysis because of its absorption ability in the ultraviolet (UV)-visible light range. Cu2O deposited on conductive Ti and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates behaves as a photocathode. Cu2O deposited on an n-type semiconductor such as TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNA)/Ti behaves as a photoanode and has demonstrated better photocatalytic activity than that of TNA/Ti. The substrate-dependent photocatalytic properties of Cu2O heterojunctions are not well studied. In this work, the photocatalytic properties of a Cu2O/TNA/Ti junction as a photoanode and of Cu2O/Ti and Cu2O/FTO junctions as photocathodes without bias were systematically studied to understand their performance. The Cu2O/TNA/Ti photoanode exhibited higher photocurrent spectral responses than those of Cu2O/Ti and Cu2O/FTO photocathodes. The photoanodic/photocathodic properties of those junctions were depicted in their energy band diagrams. Time-resolved photoluminescence indicated that Cu2O/TNA/Ti, Cu2O/Ti, and Cu2O/FTO junctions did not enhance the separation of photogenerated charges. The improved photocatalytic properties of Cu2O/TNA/Ti compared with TNA/Ti were mainly attributed to the UV-visible light absorption of Cu2O.

Graphical abstract: Studies on the substrate-dependent photocatalytic properties of Cu2O heterojunctions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Dec 2020
Accepted
17 Jan 2021
First published
26 Jan 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2021,11, 4935-4941

Studies on the substrate-dependent photocatalytic properties of Cu2O heterojunctions

R. A. N. Khasanah, H. Lin, H. Ho, Y. Peng, T. Lim, H. Hsiao, C. Wang, M. Chuang and F. S. Chien, RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 4935 DOI: 10.1039/D0RA10681J

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