Synthesis and Characterisation of Nanostructured Cupric Oxide for Photocatalytic Applications

Abstract

Being energetically sustainable, eco-compatible and resulting in the partial or total decomposition of pollutants, photocatalysis can be regarded as an appropriate wastewater treatment strategy. Here-in, we explore a simple, surfactant-free, cost effective synthesis route for nanostructured cupric oxide (CuO) and their subsequent characterisation towards photocatalytic application. The synthesised nanoparticles have been characterised using XRD, SEM, FTIR, UV-Vis and BET techniques. The particle sizes were calculated using Scherer’s equation and found to range from 12 nm to 14 nm. Classical tauc plots from UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed optical bandgaps ranging from 2.12 eV to 2.4 eV. BET analysis showed surface areas ranging from 26.8 to 49.3 m2 /g. The synthesised CuO nanoparticles from these properties showed potential for visible light range photocatalysis.