Reduced CuWO4 photocatalysts for photocatalytic non-oxidative coupling of methane reaction

Thermal reduction of the sol-gel derived CuWO4 in an H2-containing atmosphere can drive the Cu phase segment and yield WO3 or oxygen-deficient WO3_x at the same time. The in-situ formed Cu-WO3_x composite owns the advantages of stronger visible light absorption and an in-situ built metal-metal oxide interface, which are beneficial for utilizing the surface plasmon resonance effect of the Cu nanoparticles and providing catalytic active sites. The photocatalytic activity of the non-oxidative coupling of methane is greatly enhanced compared to that of the pristine CuWO4 and physically mixed CuO+WO3, due to the abundant oxygen vacancies and the additional visible light absorbance brought by the Cu nanoparticles

Automated summary

Thermal reduction of sol-gel derived CuWO4 creates Cu-WO3_x composite with enhanced visible light absorption and a metal-metal oxide interface, leading to improved photocatalytic activity in the non-oxidative coupling of methane reaction. This is attributed to the abundant oxygen vacancies and additional visible light absorbance provided by the Cu nanoparticles.