Room-temperature Synthesis of Cu2O Nanostructures and Their Morphology-dependent Adsorption Properties

Three different Cu2O nanostructures, namely porous nanospheres, nanoparticles, and nanocubes, were synthesized through a facile solution route at room temperature. Structure and morphology of the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms. The adsorption behavior of Methyl Orange (MO) onto these Cu2O nanostructures was investigated, considering the effect of initial methyl orange concentration and the additive amount of Cu2O products. The kinetic and equilibrium investigations suggested that the adsorption process of MO followed a pseudo-second order rate equation and the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the three samples followed the sequence: porous nanospheres > nanoparticles > nanocubes, which was in accordance of the BET specific surface of the samples. In addition, further investigations indicated that the as-prepared Cu2O nanostructures also show good adsorption properties for other anionic dyes including Congo red and Methyl blue.