Morphology characterizations and defect states of cuprous oxide/titania heterojunctions

Cuprous/titania (Cu2O/TiO2) heterojunctions are considered the potential photocatalysts for environmental treatment. Cu2O/TiO2 were synthesized by a simple photoreduction method from a low-power UVC lamp source. The morphology and size of the materials were recorded by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) image. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studied the chemical state of copper presence. The band gap of TiO2 materials reduced from 3.23 to 3.0 eV by modifying TiO2 with Cu2O. The formation of electron trap centers as oxygen vacancies (F center) and oxygen vacancies losing one electron (F+ center) are identified by the photoluminescent (PL) spectrum and confirmed by XPS analyses. The oxygen vacancies significant contributed to the visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity of Cu2O/TiO2 heterojunctions.

Automated summary

Cu2O/TiO2 heterojunctions were synthesized by a simple photoreduction method, showing potential photocatalytic activity for environmental treatment. The morphology and size of the materials were examined using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) imaging. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed the chemical state of copper in the materials. Photoluminescent (PL) spectrum and XPS analyses confirmed the presence of electron trap centers as oxygen vacancies (F center) and oxygen vacancies losing one electron (F+ center). The oxygen vacancies significantly contributed to the visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity of Cu2O/TiO2 heterojunctions.