PRODUCTION OF CuO/ZrO2 NANOCOMPOSITES IN POWDER AND FIBER FORMS

CuO/ZrO2 composite systems were synthesized in two different ways and comprehensively characterized with X-ray diffraction(XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDX). These metal oxide samples were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and electrospinning process. In these methods, the same metal salts were used as precursors. Separately produced ZrO2 nanoparticles(NPs) and CuO particles have spherical and cube-like shapes, and both morphologies have monoclinic structures. However, ZrO2 and CuO particles do not have uniform diameters, and the average size of these particles ranges between 6–17 and 215–847 nm, respectively. Moreover, CuO/ZrO2 nanocomposite particles(NCPs) were synthesized using a facile and one-pot hydrothermal technique. They have uniform, spherical, and monoclinic structures with a 15nm average diameter. Furthermore, ZrO2 fibers were produced with the electrospinning process as highly crystalline structures after annealing, with a 230 nm average fiber diameter. In addition, ZrO2 fibers were doped with hydrothermally synthesized CuO particles with a drop-casting method for the first time. This study clearly shows that particle-fiber structure allows the development of the efficiency of p-type counterparts by using only 0.5-1.5wt.% n-type. With these results, two methods can be used to produce heterostructure CuO/ZrO2 composite particles/fibers and as potential for photocatalytic degradation.