Defect-mediated of Cu@TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles with oxygen vacancies for photocatalytic degradation 2,4-DCP under visible light irradiation

Cu@TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles with different mass ratios of Cu to TiO2 were facilely synthesized via wet chemical approaches, and were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflection absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance. The photocatalytic efficiency of Cu@TiO2 nanoparticles was evaluated by degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol, a typical persistent organic pollutant, under visible light irradiation. The results show that the oxygen vacancy creation obviously enhances the visible-light absorption of TiO2. Meanwhile, the Cu nanoparticle incorporation into the TiO2 can effectively improve charge-separation efficiency of Cu@TiO2 under visible-light irradiation, thereby enhancing the photoactivity. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.