Structure and photocatalytic performance comparison of two distinctive copper phenylacetylides

Abstract

AbstractA new copper phenylacetylide of PhC2Cu2.5 was prepared and compared with PhC2Cu, a copper‐based metal–organic coordination polymer we reported previously. Based on the characterizations on the structures of the two prepared samples, they possessed significantly different crystal structures and similar micro and band structures. Interestingly, they also showed different preferences for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) and 2,4‐diclorophenol (2,4‐DCP). The active species trap experimental results show that different active species were required for the degradation of MO and 2,4‐DCP, resulting to different degradation pathways and mechanism. At last, different preferentially production of active species by PhC2Cu2.5 and PhC2Cu were studied by electrochemical measurements and fluorescence spectra, as well as the photocatalytic productions of reactive oxygen species by PhC2Cu and PhC2Cu2.5, which further demonstrated the obtained conclusions by active species trap experimental results. This work developed a new copper phenylacetylide of PhC2Cu2.5 as a photocatalyst and demonstrated the different degradation pathways of MO and 2,4‐DCP.