One-step in-situ fabrication of silver-modified Cu2O crystals with enhanced visible photocatalytic activity

Silver-modified cuprous oxide (Cu2O) crystals (SMCCs) were successfully created by a facile one-step in-situ Ag-loading reaction under room temperature. The samples were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra and transmission electron microscopy. The photocatalytic performance of the SMCCs were estimated by using methyl orange aqueous solution as a standard pollutant under visible light irradiation. As a result, the SMCCs show a higher photocatalytic activity than the pure phase Cu2O. The silver nanoparticles which adhered on the surface of Cu2O of different size and content can greatly effects the photocatalytic efficiency. The enhanced photocatalytic activity owed to the effective charge transfer of excited electron-hole pairs by loading Ag.