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Cu2O nanoparticles supported on carbon nanofibers as a cost-effective and efficient catalyst for RhB and phenol degradation

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Abstract

In this work, the hybrid carbon nanofibers (Cu2O/CNFs) containing cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanoparticles were prepared by a convenient electrospinning method and following a carbonization treatment. The morphology, composition, and microstructure of the Cu2O/CNFs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometer. The as-prepared Cu2O/CNFs exhibited a stronger absorption in the range of 250–700 nm. The band gap energy of the Cu2O/CNFs was estimated to be 2.0 eV. Due to the synergistic effect between photocatalytic activity of Cu2O and excellent adsorption capacity of CNFs, the obtained Cu2O/CNFs exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and phenol. The possible mechanism for degradation of RhB and phenol degradation were also discussed. The resultant hybrid carbon composites offer the significant advantages, such as low dosage, high catalytic activity, easy recycling, and excellent stability. We hope that the resultant hybrid composite Cu2O/CNFs could be applied as catalytic materials for further application in the future.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51373155), Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Textile Technology of Zhejiang Province (2011-Program) (20160202), and “521 Talents Training Plan” in Zhejiang Sci-Tech University.

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  1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Polymer Materials, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China

    Yongkun Liu, Qin Huang, Guohua Jiang, Depeng Liu & Weijiang Yu

  2. National Engineering Laboratory for Textile Fiber Materials and Processing Technology (Zhejiang), Hangzhou, 310018, China

    Guohua Jiang, Depeng Liu & Weijiang Yu

  3. Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, 310018, China

    Guohua Jiang

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  1. Yongkun Liu
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  2. Qin Huang
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  3. Guohua Jiang
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  4. Depeng Liu
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Correspondence to Guohua Jiang.

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Liu, Y., Huang, Q., Jiang, G. et al. Cu2O nanoparticles supported on carbon nanofibers as a cost-effective and efficient catalyst for RhB and phenol degradation. Journal of Materials Research 32, 3605–3615 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2017.307

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