Fabrication, Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Copper Oxide Nanowires Formed by Anodization of Copper Foams
Alaa M. Abd-Elnaiem,
Moustafa A. Abdel-Rahim,
Atta Y. Abdel-Latief,
Ahmed Abdel-Rahim Mohamed,
Kristina Mojsilović,
Wojciech Jerzy Stępniowski
Affiliations
Alaa M. Abd-Elnaiem
Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Egypt
Moustafa A. Abdel-Rahim
Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Egypt
Atta Y. Abdel-Latief
Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Egypt
Ahmed Abdel-Rahim Mohamed
Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Egypt
Kristina Mojsilović
Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12–16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Wojciech Jerzy Stępniowski
Faculty of Advanced Technology and Chemistry, Institute of Materials Science & Engineering, Military University of Technology, Kaliskiego 2 Str., 00908 Warszawa, Poland
In recent paper anodization of copper foams in 0.1 M K2CO3 is reported. Anodization was performed in the voltage range of 5–25 V and in all the cases oxides with a developed surface area were obtained. However, anodizing only at 20 and 25 V resulted in the formation of nanostruc-tures. In all the cases, the products of anodizing consisted of crystalline phases like cuprite (Cu2O), tenorite (CuO), parameconite (Cu4O3) as well as spertiniite (Cu(OH)2). Copper foams after ano-dizing were applied as catalysts in the photocatalytic decolorization of a model organic compound such as methylene blue. The highest photocatalytic activity was observed for samples anodized at 25 V and closely followed by samples anodized at 5 V. The anodized copper foams proved to be a useful material in enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency of organic dye decomposition.