Construction of Cu2O-reduced graphene oxide composites with enhanced photoelectric and photocatalytic properties

Cuprous oxide (Cu2O), a very promising photocatalyst, can be combined with graphene to form composite to enhance light utilization. Therefore, it is significant to optimize the content of graphene so as to enhance the optoelectronic and photocatalytic properties while decreasing its own problems such as agglomeration on the materials. Herein, the construction of cuprous oxide-reduced graphene oxide (Cu2O/RGO) composites has been achieved via a one-pot and green chemical precipitation. The adsorption of Cu2+ by the electrostatic action of GO and then reduction to Cu2O not only can effectively increase the loading but also improve the agglomeration of graphene. The Cu2O particles in the obtained composites exist in a cubic shape and the majority of GO had been reduced into RGO after reduction. Furthermore, the Cu2O conjugated with RGO exhibit up to 3 times higher of opto-electronic response and 1.6 times enhancement of photocatalytic activity compared with pure Cu2O. This study is geared toward the influence rules of GO to high-efficiency photocatalysts with simple processing and non-toxic method.