Construction of CuO/CdS composite nanostructure for photodegradation of pollutants in sewage

Abstract

The composite of semiconductor photocatalytic materials can effectively improve the solar energy utilization efficiency and quantum efficiency. Therefore, composite semiconductor materials have gradually become one of the most promising photocatalyst for solving water pollution problems. In this work, CuO nanowire arrays were prepared on Cu substrate by a thermal oxidation method, then CuO/CdS composite nanostructure was synthesized through an SILAR technique sequentially. The morphology, micro-area element composition, phase structure and optical properties of CuO/CdS nanostructure were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet–visible and photoluminescence spectroscopy respectively. Based on the test results, we systematically discussed the effects of several experimental conditions such as copper substrate, annealing temperature and reaction time on the properties and structure of CuO/CdS composite nanostructure. The resultant binary CuO/CdS composite nanostructure exhibited more excellent photocatalytic activity than pure CuO nanowire arrays both in the photodegradation of simulated contaminant methylene blue (MB) and practical pollutants of sewage.