CuS/TiO2 nanotube arrays heterojunction for the photoreduction of uranium (VI)

The separation of uranium U(VI) through photoreduction approach has attracted substantial attention. Sulfide-based materials have revealed excellent performance for reducing U(VI) and there is no record of CuS based materials. Herein, we synthesized CuS/TNTAs heterostructured nanocomposites (CUTN) with varied CuS contents via successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. After SILAR deposition for 10 times, CUTN-10 showed the best photocatalytic performance, and 92.6 ​% of U(VI) can be removed within 180 ​min. The CuS could provide sufficient photoelectrons and TNTAs can transport these photoelectrons to the adsorbed U(VI) on its surface, the reduced uranium sediment was proved to be (UO 2 ) O 2 ·2H 2 O. More important, the combination of TNTAs could effective inhibit photocorrosion of CuS and the leaching of Cu 2+ was relatively low. We also unconsciously found that CUTN-10 can photoreduce U(VI) without any sacrificial agent which caused by the oxidation of S 2− . This work expands the application of sulfide-based materials and provides basic data for bracing the expansion of sulfide-based materials in the field of U(VI) photoreduction.