One-Pot Fast Synthesis of Leaf-Like CuO Nanostructures and CuO/Ag Microspheres with Photocatalytic Application

A time- and energy- saving solution-based chemical precipitation method was developed to synthesize leaf-like CuO nanostructures. The morphology and size of the leaf-like CuO nanostructures could be simply manipulated by controlling the type and concentration of precursors, and the oriented attachment mechanism is responsible for the formation of leaf-like shape. With the concurrent reduction reaction and at appropriate concentration, CuO/Ag microspheres could be prepared and the growth mechanism is proposed. These two structures could serve as effective photocatalyst for the degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, compared to pure CuO nanostructures, the photodecomposition activity of CuO/Ag microspheres increases by 42.9% due to plasmon-enhanced light absorption.