Photocatalytic Activity of MOF-derived Cu2O/Cu/C/Ag Porous Composites

Cu2O/Cu/C/Ag porous composite was synthesized by heat-treatment and wet-chemical method using a typical metal-organic framework (Cu-BTC) as precursor. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis). The results showed that the original structure of Cu-BTC was retained by high temperature calcination in nitrogen atmosphere. Uniform doping of Cu, C and Ag provided a triple trapping of photogenerated electron hole pairs and the Cu2O/Cu/C/Ag exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic activity for degradation of Congo Red under visible light irradiation. Heat-treatment of the MOFs with high temperature is a facile and effective way for preparation of photocatalytic composite with desirable properties. Keywords: Photocatalyst, cuprous oxide, dye degradation, Cu-BTC.