Synthesis of Cu2O mesocrystal and its application in photocatalysis

Yolk-shelled Cu2O mesocrystals were synthesized by chemical precipitation at a low temperature with PEG-500 as the surfactant. The as-prepared products were investigated by X-ray diffraction, SEM, and TEM. The results indicated that a single Cu2O mesocrystal is an aggregation of several individual Cu2O nanocrystallites and shows a yolk-shelled structure. The morphology and size of the Cu2O mesocrystal can be tuned by varying the dosages of surfactant. The photocatalytic performance of the products detected by a UV-Vis spectrophotometer showed that the formed Cu2O mesocrystals have a high decolorization ratio and good reproducibility.