Dendritic CuSe with Hierarchical Side-Branches: Synthesis, Efficient Adsorption, and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activities under Daylight

Dendritic copper selenides (CuSe) with hierarchical side branches are synthesized on a large scale through a one-pot rapid, facile, and green hydrothermal route in which natural kiwi juice is employed as the reducing and coating reagent. Importantly, the CuSe have high specific surface area and excellent photocatalytic activity toward model dye malachite green (MG). The degradation rate of MG on the dendritic CuSe reaches 97% within 30 min under natural daylight irradiation. The high degradation capabilities are mainly attributed to a synergetic effect of the hierarchical side-branched structure with the strong adsorption of MG and the natural daylight-driven photocatalytic activity producing highly reactive oxygen. Thus, the dendritic CuSe will have a broad application prospect, which can be used for the treatment of the dye-contaminated wastewater.