Cu2O-Au Nanocomposites with Novel Structures and Remarkable Chemisorption Capacity and Photocatalytic Activity

The decomposition of CuH nanoparticles in aqueous solution has been successfully developed as a novel method for the preparation of Cu2O nanoparticles. In particular, we found that the decomposition of CuH nanoparticles in aqueous solution could be catalyzed by Au colloids, forming Cu2O-Au nanocomposites. The composition and structure of the resulting Cu2O-Au nanocomposites have been characterized in detail by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Their visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity toward various dye molecules has also been investigated. Depending on the Au: Cu ratio, Cu2O-Au nanocomposites exhibit different novel nanostructures including a beautiful flower-like nanostructure that consists of polycrystalline Cu2O, amorphous Cu2O and Au colloids. We propose that the rapidly-generated bubbles of H-2 during the course of the catalytic decomposition reaction drive the simultaneously-formed Cu2O to form amorphous curved thin foils and might also act as a template to assemble curved thin foils of amorphous Cu2O, polycrystalline Cu2O and Au colloids into uniform nanostructures. A Cu2O-Au nanocomposite with a Cu: Au ratio of 40 exhibits remarkable chemisorption capacity and visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity towards methyl orange and acid orange 7 and is a promising chemisorption-photocatalysis integrated catalyst. The catalytic decomposition of the metal hydride might open up a new approach for the fabrication of other metal/metal oxide nanocomposites with novel nanostructures and properties.