Effects of architectures and H(2)O(2) additions on the photocatalytic performance of hierarchical Cu(2)O nanostructures

Cu(2)O hierarchical nanostructures with different morphologies were successfully synthesized by a solvothermal method using copper (II) nitrate trihydrate (Cu(NO(3))(2)⋅3H(2)O) and ethylene glycol (EG) as initial reagents. The obtained nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area test, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The synthesis conditions (copper source, temperature, and reaction time) dominated the compositions and the formation of crystals with different morphologies. The visible light photocatalytic properties of as-prepared Cu(2)O nanostructures were investigated with and without hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), and the effect of H(2)O(2) were evaluated by monitoring the degradation of methyl orange (MO) with various amounts of H(2)O(2). It was revealed that the degree of the photodegradation of MO depends on the amount of H(2)O(2) and the morphology of Cu(2)O. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s11671-014-0726-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.