Synthesis of CuS flowers exhibiting versatile photo-catalyst response. (17th December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tanveer, Muhammad; Cao, Chuanbao; Aslam, Imran; Ali, Zulfiqar; Idrees, Faryal; Khan, Waheed Samraiz; Tahir, Muhammad; Khalid, Syed; Nabi, Ghulam; Mahmood, Asif
• Is Part Of: New journal of chemistry. Volume 39:Number 2(2015:Feb.)
• Page Start: 1459
• Page End: 1468
• Publication Date: 2014-12-17
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; Chimie -- Périodiques; 540
• DOI: 10.1039/c4nj01834f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1144-0546

Abstract

Abstract : A controlled synthesis of CuS microflowers through sonochemical technique is carried out and their excellent and versatile natural light driven photodegradation capability has been witnessed. Abstract : Hierarchically structured covellite copper sulfide (CuS) microflowers composed of nanosheets have been successfully fabricated via a one-pot sonochemical process, using copper sulfate and thiourea aqueous solution as precursors in the presence of citric acid, without any prefabricated template. Large-scaled architectures are homogeneous and quite separately displaced and assembled by pure hexagonal single-crystalline CuS nanosheets, having thickness within 20 nm. The as obtained hierarchical CuS structures possess rather high surface area and unique double pore size distributions measured from N2 adsorption isotherms. Moreover, a possible growth mechanism for the CuS hierarchical architectures is proposed on the basis of temporal evolution controlled experiments. Most importantly, these hierarchically structured CuS catalysts showed highly efficient and versatile photo-catalytic activities as well as excellent recyclability in degrading highly concentrated dye aqueous solutions of methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RhB) and their mixed solution (MB + RhB) with the help of hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) under natural light irradiation, suggesting a promising application in wastewater purification.