Enhanced photocatalytic performance of ZnO/$ \mathrm{Cu_2} $O composite for the degradation of methylene blue under the synergy effect

In order to investigate the catalytic degradation efficiency of ZnO/ \mathrm{Cu_2} O composite, the nanocomposite was synthesized via one-pot method and the template of SDS. The crystal structure, microscopic morphology, chemical composition, specific surface area, pore size distribution and optical absorption property of the composite were characterized. Under the irradiation of xenon lamp, the photocatalytic performance of the composite was evaluated by degrading methylene blue (MB). The aforementioned characterization showed that the synthesized composite consisted of ZnO (hexagonal wurtzite) and \mathrm{Cu_2} O (cubic crystal). Due to the mediation of SDS template, the particles were nanoscale with uniform distribution of Cu, Zn and O elements and contained abundant mesopores. The photo-response range of the composite expanded to the visible region because of the combination of ZnO and \mathrm{Cu_2} O. Degradation ratio of MB catalyzed by ZnO/ \mathrm{Cu_2} O maintained about 92 % within 100 min after five recycling, demonstrating promising potentiality for photocatalytic applications. The enhanced photocatalytic performance maybe related to the mediation of SDS during the preparation process and the synergy effect between ZnO and \mathrm{Cu_2} O.