Facile synthesis of core–shell CuO/Ag nanowires with enhanced photocatalytic and enhancement in photocurrent

Abstract

CuO nanowires were grown on Cu foil via a simple cost-effective wet-chemical route in large scales and used as templates for making silver-coated CuO (CuO/Ag) core–shell nanowires. The coverage of Ag shells on CuO nanowires was controlled by varying the concentration of Ag precursor. The structure, composition, morphology and optical properties of the synthesized core–shell CuO/Ag nanowires (CACs) were considered. The discussion on the growth process of CACs revealed the important role of Sn2+. And, the novel structure enlarged the range of absorbed light and enhanced the absorption intensity of light. The CACs were evaluated for their ability to degrade methyl orange (MeO) solution under visible-light irradiation. The rate of degradation of the as-prepared CACs was more than 7 times faster than that of using pure CuO nanowires under solar light irradiation. Moreover, the incorporation of Ag shells at the surface causes a quenching of PL emissions and enhanced photocurrent of CuO nanowires. The mechanisms of enhanced photocatalytic activity, luminescence emission quenching, and photocurrent multiplication of the core–shell nanowires have been discussed.