p-Cu2O/n-ZnO heterojunction thin films with enhanced photoelectrochemical properties and photocatalytic activities for norfloxacin

A two-step electrochemical deposition technique was applied to fabricate p-Cu2O/n-ZnO heterojunction thin films. The influence of the deposition potential upon photoelectric performance of the prepared samples was examined utilizing XRD, XPS, SEM, UV–Vis, and electrochemical tests. The results show that the deposition potential has a substantial influence on the properties of the prepared samples. When the deposition potential is −0.45 V, the peak intensity of the (111) crystal plane of the prepared heterojunction is the highest, the band gap increased, and the morphology changes obviously compared to those of Cu2O. The transient photocurrent value is three times that of pure Cu2O, and the charge transfer resistance significantly reduced. The p-Cu2O/n-ZnO heterojunction has a high carrier concentration. Photocatalytic degradation experiments show that degradation rate of norfloxacin increases by 14.4%–76.6%. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of Cu2O is mainly due to the formation of a high-quality heterojunction and the change in the energy band structure, which promotes the transfer rate of the carrier and the separation of photogenic electron hole pairs, thus effectively improving the catalytic efficiency of photocatalysts. Active species detection experiments reveal that positive hole and superoxide anion radical play leading roles in norfloxacin molecule decomposition. In addition, a possible mechanism for the photocatalytic performance of p-Cu2O enhanced by n-ZnO is proposed according to the analysis of the bandgap of p-Cu2O and n-ZnO, along with the built-in electric field formed in the p-n heterojunction. This study provides an effective and alternative method for removing norfloxacin residues in wastewater.