Well-dispersed Copper Research Articles

Building robust copper nanostructures via carbon coating derived from polydopamine for oxygen reduction reaction

This study explores the synthesis and electrocatalytic performance of copper-nitrogen-carbon composites formed by Cu single atoms/clusters embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon with Cu/Cu2O nanoparticles (Cu-X-NC) for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The catalysts were synthesized using polydopamine as a carbon and nitrogen source via the solvothermal carbonization (STC) method, followed by pyrolysis and acid washing. The effect of solvothermal carbonization temperature (120, 150, and 180 ºC) on the structure and ORR activity was investigated. The physicochemical characterization showed that higher STC temperatures reduced the size of copper crystallites, slightly increased the formation of copper(I) oxide, and led to the creation of well-dispersed copper single atoms/clusters at 150°C. This optimal dispersion enhances the interaction between the copper single atoms and the reactants, leading to faster ORR kinetics, as demonstrated by the lower charge transfer resistance values in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Additionally, the balance between micropore and mesopore structures at this temperature facilitates efficient mass transport, which is critical for achieving higher ORR activity. Moreover, accelerated stability tests showed excellent durability for Cu-150-NC, with negligible loss in onset potential after 10,000 cycles. The solvothermal process significantly increased the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA), with Cu-150-NC displaying the highest specific activity and mass activity per gram of copper, indicating superior performance. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of synthesis optimization and provide valuable insights for designing eco-friendly and high-performance copper catalysts for fuel cell applications.

Electroless Deposition for Robust and Uniform Copper Nanoparticles on Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) Microfiltration Membranes.

Filtration membranes coated in metals such as copper have dramatically improved biofouling resistance and pathogen destruction. However, existing coating methods on polymer membranes impair membrane performance, lack uniformity, and may detach from their substrate, thus contaminating the permeate. To solve these challenges, we developed the first electroless deposition protocol to immobilize copper nanoparticles on electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers for the design of antimicrobial membranes. The deposition was facilitated by prior silver seeding. Distinct mats with average fiber diameters of 232 ± 36 nm, 727 ± 148 nm and 1017 ± 80 nm were evaluated for filtration performance. Well-dispersed copper nanoparticles were conformal to the fibers, preserving the open-cell architecture of the membranes. The copper particle sizes ranged from 20 to 140 nm. Infrared spectroscopy revealed the PAN fiber mats' relative chemical stability/resistance to the copper metallization process. In addition, the classical cyclization of the cyano functional group in PAN was observed. For model polystyrene beads with average sizes of 3 μm, Cu NP-PAN fiber mats had high water flux and separation efficiency with negligible loss of Cu NP from the fibers during flow testing. Fiber size increased flux and somewhat decreased separation efficiency, though the efficiency values were still high.

Well-dispersed copper and molybdenum co-doped g-C3N4 as an excellent persulfate activator for highly efficient removal of bisphenol a in wastewater

Degradation of endocrine disrupting compounds by optimizing advanced oxidation processes is highly feasible, but remains a daunting challenge. In this work, a novel copper and molybdenum co-doped g-C3N4 (Cu/Mo@CN) were successfully synthesized via a simple dip-calcination approach, of which highly dispersed Cu and Mo atom sites were doped in the ring of g-C3N4. The Cu/Mo@CN catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, UV–vis DRS analyses, etc. The optimized system of Cu1/Mo3@CN catalyst in the visible light-persulfate oxidation (Vis + PS + Cu1/Mo3@CN system) had high photocatalytic activity to remove 97.2 % of bisphenol A (BPA, 5 mg/L) within 60 min. Compared to pure g-C3N4, Cu/Mo@CN has better visible-light (Vis) response function and narrower band gap (2.58 eV), which are easier to get excited by Vis illuminate. The results showed that reactive oxygen species of SO4• −, •OH and •O2− could be stably produced to contribute to the BPA degradation in Vis + PS + Cu/Mo@CN systems. Meanwhile, the Cu and Mo elements co-doped in g-C3N4 can also effectively activate PS to promote the production of reactive oxygen substances. In addition, the continuous production of photoelectrons enhanced the cycling of Cu2+/Mo6+ and Cu+/Mo4+, which could be further improved the removal efficiency of Vis + PS + Cu/Mo@CN towards BPA. The degradation mechanism of BPA were proposed according to the identification of intermediate products and DFT calculation. Overall, this study provides a viable pathway for BPA abatement in actual wastewater treatment applications.

Rational design of zero-valence and well-dispersed copper nanocluster stabilized by carbon-coated SiO2 for highly effective and ultrafast reduction of nitroarenes

In this work, we present a ligand modification strategy that allows for the regulation of the valence and dispersion state of Cu clusters in the final obtained Cu@C/SiO2 catalyst. Specifically, the phthalic acid (PA) ligand promotes the uniform anchoring of zero-valence Cu nanoclusters on Cu@C/SiO2, resulting in excellent catalytic activity in the selective reduction of toxic 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) with a rate constant (k) of 19.06×10-3 s-1. This value was approximately 2.4- and 31.2-fold higher than that of the CuO/SiO2 and bare CuO catalysts, respectively. Additionally, no significant decline in activity was detected during six successful cycles. Through systematic analysis of structural and electronic properties of the catalyst, we confirmed that the coordination effect of the PA ligand and the carbothermic effect of its carbon derivatives effectively prevent particle aggregation and modulate the valence state of copper species in Cu@C/SiO2, resulting in superior catalytic performance.

A simple method for the synthesis of copper nanoparticles from metastable intermediates.

Copper nanoparticles have attracted a wide attention because of their low cost and high specific surface area. At present, the synthesis of copper nanoparticles has the problems of complicated process and environmentally unfriendly materials like hydrazine hydrate and sodium hypophosphite that would pollute water, harm human health and may even cause cancer. In this paper, a simple and low-cost two-step synthesis method was used to prepare highly stable and well-dispersed spherical copper nanoparticles in solution with a particle size of about 34 nm. The prepared spherical copper nanoparticles were kept in solution for one month without precipitation. Using non-toxic l-ascorbic acid as the reducing and secondary coating agent, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the primary coating agent, and NaOH as the pH modulator, the metastable intermediate CuCl was prepared. Due to the characteristics of the metastable state, copper nanoparticles were rapidly prepared. Moreover, to improve the dispersibility and antioxidant, the PVP and l-ascorbic acid were used to coat the surface of copper nanoparticles. Finally, the mechanism of the two-step synthesis of copper nanoparticles was discussed. This mechanism mainly relies on the two-step dehydrogenation of l-ascorbic acid to obtain copper nanoparticles.

Biosynthesis of monodispersed stable copper nanoparticles using Syzygium cumini: characterization and potential applications

This study reports a novel, facile and eco-friendly approach for the reduction of CuSO4·5H2O into stable and well-dispersed copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) using aqueous leaf extract of Syzygium cumini. The reduction was affirmed by UV-Visible spectrophotometer maximum absorbance at 535 nm. The effect of various parameters including temperature, pH, precursor salt concentration and incubation time on particle size of Cu NPs has been evaluated. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed a strong band at 3,307 cm–1 indicating the O–H groups of alcohols and phenols. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed spherical morphology of Cu NPs with particle size of 19 nm. The prepared nanoparticles showed excellent catalytic performance for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from the aqueous medium using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as a reducing agent. The kinetic studies showed that Cu NPs followed pseudo-first-order for catalytic reduction of MB.

Enhanced water-gas shift reaction performance of MOF-derived Cu/CeO2 catalysts for hydrogen purification

The water-gas shift (WGS) reaction has received renewed interest because it is one of the key reactions for producing hydrogen and renewable energy in contemporary technologies like fuel cells and bio-refineries. Catalysts play an important role in WGS reaction for achieving high CO conversion and hydrogen generation activity. Thus, the performance and stability of catalysts are vital for the WGS reaction. In the present work, the CuCe metal-organic framework (MOF) is used as a template to derive the nanostructured Cu/CeO2 catalyst. The influence of CuCe-MOF templated approach on the WGS activity of Cu/CeO2 has been established. Different Cu doping levels had a significant impact on WGS activity. Amongst, the Ce0.8Cu0.2O2 (Cu2Ce) catalyst had a highest CO conversion (96%). The long-term stability tests further prove that the Cu2Ce catalyst had maintained high CO conversion over 100 h reaction time. XRD and TEM results suggest that different loadings of Cu content have a distinct impact on the dispersion of Cu and the catalytic properties. N2O chemisorption results suggest that 20 wt.% of Cu loading resulted in high Cu dispersion (52%) compared to other loadings. The H2-temperature programmed reduction (TPR) revealed that the superior catalytic activity of Cu2Ce catalyst could be attributed to the strong reducibility (i.e. lower redox temperature) derived from CuCe-MOF template. It further suggests well-dispersed copper oxide species at low Cu loadings and crystalline copper oxide species at high Cu loadings. This work emphasizes the significance of Cu/CeO2 catalysts with exceptional catalytic activity and stability for the WGS process with MOF-precursor.

Highly Enhanced Catalytic Stability of Copper by the Synergistic Effect of Porous Hierarchy and Alloying for Selective Hydrogenation Reaction

Supported copper has a great potential for replacing the commercial palladium-based catalysts in the field of selective alkynes/alkadienes hydrogenation due to its excellent alkene selectivity and relatively high activity. However, fatally, it has a low catalytic stability owing to the rapid oligomerization of alkenes on the copper surface. In this study, 2.5 wt% Cu catalysts with various Cu:Zn ratios and supported on hierarchically porous alumina (HA) were designed and synthesized by deposition–precipitation with urea. Macropores (with diameters of 1 μm) and mesopores (with diameters of 3.5 nm) were introduced by the hydrolysis of metal alkoxides. After in situ activation at 350 °C, the catalytic stability of Cu was highly enhanced, with a limited effect on the catalytic activity and alkene selectivity. The time needed for losing 10% butadiene conversion for Cu1Zn3/HA was ~40 h, which is 20 times higher than that found for Cu/HA (~2 h), and 160 times higher than that found for Cu/bulky alumina (0.25 h). It was found that this type of enhancement in catalytic stability was mainly due to the rapid mass transportation in hierarchically porous structure (i.e., four times higher than that in bulky commercial alumina) and the well-dispersed copper active site modified by Zn, with identification by STEM–HAADF coupled with EDX. This study offers a universal way to optimize the catalytic stability of selective hydrogenation reactions.

Green synthesis of pure copper oxide nanoparticles using Quercus infectoria galls extract, thermal behavior and their antimicrobial effects

In this work, a facile and fast green synthesis of highly stable and well-dispersed copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) was successfully carried out using aqueous extract of galls of Quercus infectoria (Q. infectoria) as a reducing and capping agent along with ultrasonic irradiation. XRD pattern indicated the formation of the end-centered monoclinic structure of highly pure CuO-NPs with a crystallite size of 30 nm. SEM image of CuO-NPs exhibited spherical morphology with an average size of 20 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy clearly demonstrated the presence of copper and oxygen elements that confirms the purity of biosynthesized copper oxide nanoparticles. TEM image revealed that the morphology of CuO-NPs was spherical. Antibacterial activity of the Q. infectoria galls extract and CuO-NPs was evaluated against two Gram-positive bacteria and four Gram-negative bacteria. The novelty of this study is that for the first time galls of Q. infectoria were used for the synthesis of CuO-NPs. The results confirmed that CuO-NPs have been successfully synthesized in a fast, cost effectively, eco-environmentally friendly, nontoxic and also easy method. Antibacterial assays revealed that CuO-NPs are potentially a good source of antimicrobial activity and demonstrating its importance for applying in biomedicine, packaging and general usage such as battery and ceramics.

Size-activity threshold of titanium dioxide-supported Cu cluster in CO oxidation

Development of non-noble metal cluster catalysts, aiming at concurrently high activity and stability, for emission control systems has been challenging because of sintering and overcoating of clusters on the support. In this work, we reported the role of well-dispersed copper nanoclusters supported on TiO2 in CO oxidation under industrially relevant operating conditions. The catalyst containing 0.15 wt% Cu on TiO2 (0.15 CT) exhibited a high dispersion (59.1%), a large specific surface area (381 m2/gCu), a small particle size (1.77 nm), and abundant active sites (75.8% Cu2O). The CO oxidation activity measured by the turnover frequency (TOF) was found to be enhanced from 0.60 × 10−3 to 3.22 × 10−3 molCO·molCu−1·s−1 as the copper loading decreased from 5 to 0.15 wt%. A CO conversion of approximately 60% was still observed in the supported cluster catalyst with a Cu loading of 5 wt% at 240 °C. No deactivation was observed for catalysts with low copper loading (0.15 and 0.30 CT) after 8 h of time-on-stream, which compares favorably with less stable Au cluster-based catalysts reported in the literature. In contrast, catalysts with high copper loading (0.75 and 5 CT) showed deactivation over time, which was ascribed to the increase in copper particle size due to metal cluster agglomeration. This study elucidated the size-activity threshold of TiO2-supported Cu cluster catalysts. It also demonstrated the potential of the supported Cu cluster catalyst at a typical temperature range of diesel engines at light-load. The supported Cu cluster catalyst could be a promising alternative to noble metal cluster catalysts for emission control systems.

Methanol synthesis over Cu/CeO2–ZrO2 catalysts: the key role of multiple active components

Importance of well-dispersed copper species and well-developed ceria–zirconia surface during catalytic carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol.

Magnetic selenium-doped graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposite as an effective catalyst support for stabilization of Cu NPs

In the present study, for the first time, a magnetic graphitic carbon nitride doped with selenium (Se-g-C3N4/Fe3O4) nanocomposite was designed and fabricated by incorporation of selenium to g-C3N4 via a facile thermal condensation technique and hybridization with Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The prepared Se-g-C3N4/Fe3O4 nanocomposite was then applied as ideal catalyst support for the immobilization of copper nanoparticles to prepare the Se-g-C3N4/Fe3O4/Cu nanocatalyst. The structure of Se-g-C3N4/Fe3O4/Cu was comprehensively identified by different spectroscopic and microscopic analyses like FT-IR, TGA, XPS, XRD, VSM, EDX, EDX mapping, FE-SEM, and AAS. The as-fabricated nanocomposite exhibited high catalytic performance in the three-component reaction using various aldehydes, secondary amines, and terminal alkynes and the corresponding propargylamines were gained in good to excellent yields (65–98%) under solvent-free conditions at 110 °C for 3.5 h. Also, this copper nanocatalyst exhibited good stability and could be easily separated using an external magnetic field and reused four times with a slight decrease in its activity. The excellent catalytic performance and stability of the nanocatalyst can be related to the effective interaction between the support and the well-dispersed copper nanoparticles.

Strong adhesion of polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated copper nanoparticles on various substrates fabricated from well-dispersed copper nanoparticle inks

In this study, we obtained copper nanoparticle (Cu NP) films exhibiting low resistivity and strong adhesion with respect to various substrates by drop-casting the Cu NP ink with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) after being sintered at 250 °C. PVP functioned as a dispersant in the ink and as an adhesive at the interfaces between the Cu NPs and the substrates. Aggregation of the Cu NPs in the ink resulted in the creation of a porous NP film after drop-casting, and the contact area between the PVP-coated Cu NPs and the substrates was small, resulting in poor adhesion. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation measurement of the Cu NP ink, which can determine the dispersibility of the undiluted Cu NPs, revealed that long dispersion time and optimal PVP concentration were required to produce a well-dispersed Cu NP ink with PVP. The well-dispersed ink resulted in dense Cu NP films and a large contact area, demonstrating strong adhesion. The ink was applied to various substrates, including glass, polyimide, polyphthalamide, liquid crystal polymer, and polytetrafluoroethylene, and these substrates, except polytetrafluoroethylene, showed strong adhesion. The weak adhesion of polytetrafluoroethylene can be attributed to the small surface energy change between the PVP-coated Cu NPs and the polytetrafluoroethylene substrate owing to the low surface energy of polytetrafluoroethylene. The well-dispersed Cu NP ink with PVP is expected to be applied to the production of adhesive Cu wiring on various substrates for printed electronics, except substrates exhibiting low surface energy such as polytetrafluoroethylene.

Magnetic copper-ferrosilicon composites as regenerable sorbents for Hg0 removal

As a dangerous environmental pollutant, mercury is widely existed in coal-fired power plant gases. In this manuscript, a novel and reliable high-capacity adsorbent (MagFeSi-Cu°) was synthesized by powder metallurgy method to remove Hg° from flue gases. The FeSi, the nano-copper and the silica-coated magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were mixed and calcinated at 300 °C by powder metallurgy method. Copper nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the FeSi surface by the linkage of Cu3Si, which was formed by the interfacial reaction between surface Cu atoms in the copper nanoparticles and the amorphous Si on the surface of FeSi. Due to the magnetic properties of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles, the adsorbent can be effectively separated from dust waste for further recycling and regeneration. The amorphous silicon in ferrosilicon (FeSi) reacts with copper nanoparticles, producing copper-silicon alloy as a binder to maintain the stability of copper nanoparticles. Besides that, well-dispersed copper nanoparticles prepared by liquid phase reduction have excellent amalgam properties. The characteristics mentioned above make the new composite (MagFeSi-Cu°) a regenerable sorbents for Hg° Removal from flue gas, which was confirmed by mercury removal test conducted in a fix-bed reactor.

Desorption products during linear heating of copper zeolites with pre-adsorbed methanol.

Desorption products from zeolites with medium (MFI) and small (CHA) pores and with and without ion-exchanged copper were studied during linear heating after the pre-adsorption of methanol using a chemical flow reactor with a gas phase Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The methanol desorption profiles were deconvoluted and compared with those predicted from first-principles calculations. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy was used to study the samples during methanol desorption following a step-wise increase of the sample temperature. It is shown that well-dispersed copper species in the Cu-zeolite samples interact more strongly with methanol and its derivatives as compared to the bare zeolites, resulting in methanol desorption at higher temperatures. Moreover, the introduction of Cu leads to CO formation and desorption in larger amounts at lower temperatures compared to the bare zeolites. The formation and desorption of dimethyl ether (DME) from pre-adsorbed methanol takes place at different temperatures depending on both the influence of Cu and the zeolite topology. The Cu sites in zeolites lead to higher DME formation/desorption temperatures, while a small shift of DME desorption towards higher temperatures is observed for the CHA framework structure compared to the MFI framework structure.

High-strength and high-conductivity nanograined copper fabricated by partial homogenization and asymmetric rolling

In this study, microstructure, mechanical properties, and electrical conductivity of copper matrix composite fabricated by partial homogenization and asymmetric cold rolling investigated. The microstructure of the copper matrix composite investigated by optical microscopy (OM) as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The copper matrix composites with uniformly dispersed copper oxide particles, free of porosity, and appropriate interfacial adhesion between particles and matrix successfully fabricated via partial homogenization followed by asymmetric cold rolling. By 90% and 96% rolling, numerous nanograins observed in the copper matrix due to the occurrence of discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) and particle stimulated nucleation (PSN) mechanisms. The produced composites had excellent mechanical properties due to the well-dispersed copper oxide particles in the copper matrix, strain hardening, and grain refinement. The 96% asymmetric cold rolling resulted in the hardness of 91.3 HB, yield strength of 413.9 MPa, and electrical conductivity of 84.10% IACS, which is an excellent combination for modern applications in electrical engineering. Finally, all fracture surfaces exhibited numerous dimples, indicating ductile failure mode. With increasing the deformation, the number, diameter, and depth of dimples and the height of the torn edge decreased.

Amorphous SiO2 nanofiber@CuO quantum dots with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO2) fibers (ASF) loaded with well-dispersed copper (II) oxide (CuO) quantum dots were prepared through a hydrothermal process using copper hydroxide as the precursor. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen gas (N2) adsorption–desorption isotherm measurements and ultraviolet (UV)–visible spectroscopy. It was found that the surface of the fibers was decorated with well-dispersed copper (II) oxide quantum dots with 5 nm average size. The composites, with a high specific surface area of 78·52 m2/g, showed fierce light absorption within the UV band and low light absorption within the 400–600 nm and exhibited higher photocatalytic activities compared with pure copper (II) oxide for the photodegradation of potassium ethyl xanthate (KEX) under incandescent light. A decrease in agglomeration and an increase in the specific surface area of copper (II) oxide particles may have contributed to the results. The combination of copper (II) oxide quantum dots and ASFs can result in a remarkable improvement in photocatalytic activity and may provide a useful method for the degradation of KEX.

Biofabrication of highly pure copper oxide nanoparticles using wheat seed extract and their catalytic activity: A mechanistic approach

Abstract A facile novel green methodology is presented for the synthesis of highly stable and well-dispersed copper oxide nanoparticles using aqueous wheat seed extract. Under optimal reaction conditions, the wheat seed extract-derived electron-rich biomolecules were functioned as a reducing and capping/ stabilizing agent. The ultraviolet-visible absorption peak at 300 nm was confirmed the formation of copper oxide nanoparticles. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis determined Cu–O bonds in nanosample, indicating the active role of functional groups in the wheat seed extract in bio-reduction of Cu cations. X-ray diffraction pattern results demonstrated the monoclinic structure of highly pure biosynthesized copper oxide nanoparticles with a crystallite size of 20.76 nm. The stability of copper oxide nanoparticles was confirmed after 3 months’ storage of product with no sedimentation or suspension. Transmission electron microscopy results showed the spherical shape of nano-particle with an average size of 22 ± 1.5 nm. X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy analyses revealed only copper and oxygen elements in the sample, confirming the purity of copper oxide nanoparticles. Bio-assisted copper oxide nanoparticles demonstrated significant catalytic efficiency and reusability toward 4-nitrophenol removal by an average of 97.6% from aqueous solutions after successive 5 days’ exposure to UV irradiation.

Boosting the rate capability of multichannel porous TiO2 nanofibers with well-dispersed Cu nanodots and Cu2+-doping derived oxygen vacancies for sodium-ion batteries

The use of TiO2 as an anode in rechargeable sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) is hampered by intrinsic low electronic conductivity of TiO2 and inferior electrode kinetics. Here, a high-performance TiO2 electrode for NIBs is presented by designing a multichannel porous TiO2 nanofibers with well-dispersed Cu nanodots and Cu2+-doping derived oxygen vacancies (Cu-MPTO). The in-situ grown well-dispersed copper nanodots of about 3 nm on TiO2 surface could significantly enhance electronic conductivity of the TiO2 fibers. The one-dimensional multichannel porous structure could facilitate the electrolyte to soak in, leading to short transport path of Na+ through carbon toward the TiO2 nanoparticle. The Cu2+-doping induced oxygen vacancies could decrease the bandgap of TiO2, resulting in easy electron trapping. With this strategy, the Cu-MPTO electrodes render an outstanding rate performance for NIBs (120 mAh·g−1 at 20 C) and a superior cycling stability for ultralong cycle life (120 mAh·g−1 at 20 C and 96.5% retention over 2,000 cycles). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations also suggest that Cu2+ doping can enhance the conductivity and electron transfer of TiO2 and lower the sodiation energy barrier. This strategy is confirmed to be a general process and could be extended to improve the performance of other materials with low electronic conductivity applied in energy storage systems.

Enhancing photocatalytic activities of titanium dioxide via well-dispersed copper nanoparticles

The modification of titanium dioxide (TiO2) using noble metal nanoparticles is considered as a promising technique to make electrode with outstanding photocatalytic performance. In this paper, self-organized anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays were decorated with well-distributed small Cu nanoparticles through a novel technique that combines magnetron sputtering and thermal dewetting. The obtained nanocomposite catalyst exhibited 4-fold increase in the photodegradation rate of methylene blue aqueous solution under solar light irradiation than anatase TiO2 prepared with same anodization conditions. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was attributed to the synergistic effect of Schottky barrier and Surface plasmon resonance. The influence of post annealing process, sputtering time and thermal dewetting temperature on photocatalytic performance was studied and the optimal preparation conditions were proposed. The results of this study may provide a new strategy to improve photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 without using high-cost noble metals.