Comparative study of the Cu-TiO2 nanostructures obtained by sol-gel and microwave assisted sol-gel methods

IF 3.2 4区材料科学 Q2 MATERIALS SCIENCE, CERAMICS

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology Pub Date : 2025-04-18 DOI:10.1007/s10971-025-06757-x

Luminița Predoană, Jeanina Pandele-Cușu, Irina Atkinson, Simona Petrescu, Oana Cătălina Mocioiu, Daniela C. Culiță, Dániel Attila Karajz, Vincent Otieno Odhiambo, Hamsasew Hankebo Lemago, Ana Paula Barreto Gomes, Zalán István Várady, Marcell Bohus, Ruxandra M. Costescu, Imre M. Szilágyi, György Pokol, Maria Zaharescu

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Abstract

In this study, pristine TiO₂ and Copper (Cu)-doped TiO₂ nanopowders were synthesized using two sol-gel methods: conventional sol-gel (SG) and microwave-assisted sol-gel (MW). The aim was to investigate the effect of the synthesis route and Cu doping on the structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties of TiO₂. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the formation of anatase TiO₂ in all samples, with a minor presence of rutile observed in the samples obtained by the MW method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) showed that the nanopowders obtained by the MW method exhibited a greater tendency for particle aggregation compared to those obtained through the SG method. The presence of Cu²⁺/Cu⁺ species in the samples was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). UV-Vis reflectance measurements revealed a shift in the absorption edge of the 5% Cu-doped samples toward the visible light range, significantly reducing the band gap. Evaluation of photocatalytic activity demonstrated that doping TiO₂ with 5% Cu enhanced the degradation of Congo Red dye under visible light.

Graphical Abstract

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溶胶-凝胶法和微波辅助溶胶-凝胶法制备Cu-TiO2纳米结构的比较研究

本研究采用常规溶胶-凝胶（SG）和微波辅助溶胶-凝胶（MW）两种方法合成了纯净的TiO2和掺杂铜（Cu）的TiO2纳米粉体。目的是研究合成路线和Cu掺杂对TiO2结构、光学和光催化性能的影响。x射线衍射（XRD）分析证实了所有样品中都形成了锐钛矿型TiO2，通过MW法获得的样品中观察到少量金红石的存在。扫描电镜（SEM）和能量色散x射线分析（EDX）表明，与SG法制备的纳米粉体相比，MW法制备的纳米粉体具有更大的颗粒聚集倾向。x射线光电子能谱（XPS）证实了样品中Cu2+/Cu+的存在。紫外-可见反射率测量显示，5% cu掺杂样品的吸收边缘向可见光范围移动，显著减小了带隙。光催化活性评价表明，在可见光下，掺杂5% Cu的TiO2增强了对刚果红染料的降解。图形抽象

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来源期刊

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology 工程技术-材料科学：硅酸盐

CiteScore

4.70

自引率

4.00%

发文量

280

审稿时长

2.1 months

期刊介绍： The primary objective of the Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology (JSST), the official journal of the International Sol-Gel Society, is to provide an international forum for the dissemination of scientific, technological, and general knowledge about materials processed by chemical nanotechnologies known as the "sol-gel" process. The materials of interest include gels, gel-derived glasses, ceramics in form of nano- and micro-powders, bulk, fibres, thin films and coatings as well as more recent materials such as hybrid organic-inorganic materials and composites. Such materials exhibit a wide range of optical, electronic, magnetic, chemical, environmental, and biomedical properties and functionalities. Methods for producing sol-gel-derived materials and the industrial uses of these materials are also of great interest.