Mesoporous Cu-CuO@TiO heterojunction photocatalysts derived from metal-organic frameworks.

This study reveals a unique Cu-CuO@TiO heterojunction photocatalyst obtained with metal-organic framework as the precursor, which can be utilized in dye photodegradation under visible light irradiation. The composition, structure, morphology, porosity, optical properties and photocatalytic performance of the obtained catalysts were all investigated in detail. The Cu-CuO@TiO nanocomposite is composed of lamellar Cu-CuO microspheres embedded by numerous TiO nanoparticles. Methylene blue, methyl orange and 4-nitrophenol were used as model pollutants to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the Cu-CuO@TiO nanocomposite for dye degradation under visible light irradiation. Nearly 95% decolourisation efficiency of Methylene blue was achieved by the Cu-CuO@TiO photocatalyst within 3 h, which is much higher than that of TiO or CuO catalysts. The excellent photocatalytic activity was primarily attributed to the unique MOF-based mesoporous structure, the enlarged photo-adsorption range and the efficient separation of the charge carriers in the Cu-CuO@TiO heterojunction.