In situ preparation of cubic Cu₂O-RGO nanocomposites for enhanced visible-light degradation of methyl orange

There has been a growing interest in gathering together photocatalysis of semiconductors, like cuprous oxide (Cu₂O), and the excellent electron transmittability of graphene to produce a graphene-based semiconductor for photocatalytic degradation. In this paper, a mild one-pot in situ synthesis of cubic cuprous oxide-reduced graphene oxide (Cu₂O-RGO) nanocomposites has been proposed for the removal of methyl orange. In contrast to pure cubic Cu₂O particles under similar preparation conditions, the cubic Cu₂O-RGO nanocomposites demonstrate enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity for methyl orange dye with a 100% degradation rate in 100 min. The enhanced photocatalytic performance is mainly attributed to the increased charge transportation, effective separation of photoelectrons from vacancies, and the improved contact area. (paper)