Preparation of spindly CuO micro-particles for photodegradation of dye pollutants under a halogen tungsten lamp

Spindly cupric oxide (CuO) micro-particles were synthesized using Cu(NO3)(2), hexamethylenetetramine, and NaOH solutions at 95 degrees C. The spindly CuO particles had a shape similar to a carambola of similar to 1 mu m in length and 300 nm in width. They were composed of nanosheets with a thickness of similar to 5 nm. Such particles could be used in the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B in the presence of similar to 0.01 M H2O2. Under irradiation by a 100W halogen tungsten lamp, the CuO showed photocatalytic activities higher than those of P25 and commercially available CuO powder. They were very stable and could be recycled without considerable loss of activity. Other dye and organic pollutants such as methyl orange, methylene blue, erosin B. and p-nitrophenol could also be photodecomposed under identical conditions. These characteristics show the practical applications of the CuO particles in environmental remediation. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.