Shape-controlled hollow Cu2O@CuS nanocubes with enhanced photocatalytic activities towards degradation of tetracycline.

In view of recent advances in photodegradation of antibiotics, low cost and stable photocatalyst remain rare. In this article, shape-controlled Cu₂O@CuS nanocubes with the larger specific surface area were successfully prepared via a simple template-engaged strategy. Cu₂O nanocubes were synthesized through a reduction method as original templates, the core-shelled Cu₂O@CuS nanocubes were formed by sulphuration with Na₂S as sulphur source, and the Cu₂O core can be incompletely removed by Na₂S₂O₃ to generate the Cu₂O@CuS nanoboxes. Herein, hierarchical nanoboxes with two-layered Cu₂O@CuS were used as photocatalyst materials for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC). The obtained nanocubes manifested high specific surface area (39.65 m² g⁻¹) and large pore volume (12.3 cm³ g⁻¹). The degradation performance for TC was investigated in detail, including the effect of parameters such as photocatalyst, pH and catalyst dosage. The results indicated that degradation efficiencies were higher than 90% under visible light. Moreover, the degradation efficiency was 71% after six times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]