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Facile synthesis of Fe2O3/Cu2O nanocomposite and its visible light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of cationic dyes

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Abstract

Iron oxide-loaded Cu2O photocatalysts were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. The binary mixed metal oxide photocatalyst was characterized by XRD, FE-SEM, FTIR, UV–Vis-DRS, particle size and zeta potential measurements. XRD analysis showed that Fe2O3/Cu2O catalysts were phase pure and highly crystalline in nature. FE-SEM images revealed the formation of nanospherical Fe2O3 over the Cu2O surface during hydrothermal reaction. From UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy studies, the optical band gap of the Fe2O3/Cu2O photocatalyst was found to be slightly red-shifted to 1.85 eV, after loading of Fe2O3. The zeta potential analysis revealed that the surface of the Fe2O3/Cu2O photocatalyst was negatively charged in neutral solution. The loading of n-type Fe2O3 on p-type Cu2O augments the charge carrier separation at the interface, which was evident from the enhanced photodegradation of organic pollutants (Methylene blue and Rhodamine B dyes) under visible light irradiation.

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Acknowledgement

We gratefully acknowledge financial support from Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), New Delhi, India (103/239/2015-NT).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM University, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India

    Sandeep Kumar Lakhera & R. Venkataramana

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, SRM University, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India

    Aakash Watts

  3. State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, Fuzhou University, 2 Xueyuan Road, University Town, Fuzhou, 350116, Fujian, People’s Republic of China

    Masakazu Anpo

  4. SRM Research Institute, SRM University, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India

    Bernaurdshaw Neppolian

Authors
  1. Sandeep Kumar Lakhera
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  2. R. Venkataramana
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  3. Aakash Watts
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  4. Masakazu Anpo
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  5. Bernaurdshaw Neppolian
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Correspondence to Bernaurdshaw Neppolian.

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Special Issue of the 1st International Symposium on Photocatalysis at Fuzhou University.

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Lakhera, S.K., Venkataramana, R., Watts, A. et al. Facile synthesis of Fe2O3/Cu2O nanocomposite and its visible light photocatalytic activity for the degradation of cationic dyes. Res Chem Intermed 43, 5091–5102 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11164-017-3050-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11164-017-3050-0

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