Facet-dependent Cu2O@Zn(OH)2 composites with enhanced visible-light photocatalysis

Facet-dependent Cu2[email protected](OH)2 composites were synthesized by wrapping morphology-controllable Cu2O crystals (cubic, cuboctahedral and octahedral) with the adsorbent Zn(OH)2 nanosheets. The cuboctahedral Cu2[email protected](OH)2 composite exhibits the highest photocatalytic performance than cubic and octahedral ones with the degradation rate of methyl orange up to 96.6% under visible-light irradiation due to the best crystal facet-dependent photocatalytic performance of cuboctahedral Cu2O. Moreover, the presence of Zn(OH)2 nanosheets can enhance the rapid adsorption of dye molecules, and thus accelerate the photocatalytic process. The combination of Zn(OH)2 nanosheets with physical adsorption capacity and facet-dependent Cu2O crystals with catalytic performance effectively enhances the photocatalytic performance of composite catalyst.