Abstract
Carboxylic acid functionalized graphene oxide-copper (II) sulfide nanoparticle composite (GO-COOH-CuS) was prepared from carboxylated graphene oxide and copper precursor in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) by a facile synthesis process at room temperature. The high-effective combination, the interaction between GO-COOH sheets and CuS nanoparticles, and the enhanced visible light absorption were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) and Photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The as-synthesized GO-COOH-CuS nanocomposite exhibited excellent photocatalytic degradation performance of phenol and rhodamine B, high antibacterial activity toward E. coli and B. subtilis, and good recovery and reusability. The influence of CuS content, the synergistic reaction between CuS and GO-COOH, and the charge-transfer mechanism were systematically investigated. The facile and low-energy synthesis process combined with the excellent degradation and antibacterial performance signify that the GO-COOH-CuS has a great potential for water treatment application.
Highlights
Carboxylic acid functionalized graphene oxide-copper (II) sulfide nanoparticle composite (GO-COOH-CuS) was prepared from carboxylated graphene oxide and copper precursor in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) by a facile synthesis process at room temperature
By the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, it could be deduced that the carboxylic acid functional groups in the synthesis process have triple function: (1) increasing the hydrophilicity of Graphene oxide (GO) sheets to facilitate CuS interaction with GO sheets; (2) reducing the van der Waals bond between carbon layers to promote the delamination of the GO sheets; and (3) providing strong anchoring sites for CuS NPs to inhibit their aggregation[12]
The uniform deposition of CuS NPs on GO-COOH-CuS nanocomposites with various mass ratios (GO-COOH) sheets contributes to the superior photocatalytic activities of the nanocomposite, towards organic pollutants and waterborne pathogens (E. coli and B. subtilis)
Summary
Carboxylic acid functionalized graphene oxide-copper (II) sulfide nanoparticle composite (GO-COOH-CuS) was prepared from carboxylated graphene oxide and copper precursor in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) by a facile synthesis process at room temperature. The facile and low-energy synthesis process combined with the excellent degradation and antibacterial performance signify that the GO-COOH-CuS has a great potential for water treatment application. To the best of our knowledge, there are few low-energy approaches developed for the synthesis of CuS-based composite photocatalyst, e.g., at room temperature. As a single layer of graphite, graphene has a perfect sp2-hybridized two-dimensional carbon structure, including perfect crystal and microstructure with large surface area[5,6] Those properties can enhance photoactivity of other photocatalysts, and make it be suitable support[7]. To the best of our knowledge, the multifunctional GO-COOH-CuS nanocomposite is for the first time rapid synthesized via such facile and scalable room-temperature method and used for water decontamination and disinfection with excellent performance just during a short operating period under solar irradiation
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