中国有色金属学报(英文版)
Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China
| Vol. 34 No. 6 June 2024 |
（1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China;
2. Key Laboratory of Dielectric and Electrolyte Functional Materials of Hebei Province, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao 066004, China;
3. Department of Environmental Engineering, Hebei University of Environmental Engineering, Qinhuangdao 066102, China）
Abstract:CuO/CeO2 p–n heterojunction composites were synthesized using an easy microwave reflux method with homogeneous precipitation technology, and their photocatalytic performance in terms of methylene blue degradation was studied. The results showed that the degradation effect of the CuO/CeO2 heterojunction composites was substantially stronger than that of CeO2. The composite prepared with a Cu/Ce molar ratio of 1/3 (1/3 Cu/Ce) exhibited the highest catalytic activity, achieving a degradation efficiency of 96.2% within 180 min. The improved photocatalytic performance was attributed to the formation of a p–n heterojunction between CuO and CeO2, which considerably promoted the separation and transport of photogenerated carriers. The band offset of the CuO/CeO2 heterostructure was calculated; its valence band offset was 1.58 eV and conduction band offset was -0.48 eV, further demonstrating the formation of a p–n heterojunction.
Key words: CuO; CeO2; p–n heterojunction; photocatalytic mechanism; methylene blue
