No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 April 2014
The present study details facile synthesis of hollow Cu2O nanospheres decorated with Ag nanoparticles using a simple surfactant technique for enhanced photocatalytic activity. The morphology and structure is studied via XRD and SEM. Cu2O hollow nanospheres with a diameter of 500-800 nm were synthesized via Ostwald ripening using CuSO4 aqueous solution. The catalytic activity of Cu2O is studied in the presence of UV and visible light using Methyl Orange (MO) as a model pollutant. Ag decorated Cu2O particles showed a 49% increase in photocatalytic activity over the undecorated Cu2O. The improved photocatalytic activity is achieved by surface plasmon resonance effects in the silver nanoparticles, allowing utilization of the lower energy portion of the solar spectrum.