Photoassisted Water Purification through an Electrochemically Artificially Adjusted p‑Cu2O Light Absorption Layer

• Published in: ACS omega Vol. 9; no. 27; pp. 29723 - 29731
• Main Authors: Sharma, Dhruv, Kim, Dong Su, Oh, Shin Young, Lee, Kun Woong, Yang, Won Seok, Zhang, Xuan, Swami, Sanjay Kumar, Cho, Hyung Koun, Cho, Sung Woon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 09.07.2024
• ISSN: 2470-1343; 2470-1343
• DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c03234

The implementation of photoelectrochemical water purification technology can address prevailing environmental challenges that impede the advancement and prosperity of human society. In this study, Cu, which is abundant on Earth, was fabricated using an electrochemical deposition process, in which the preferential orientation direction and carrier concentration of the Cu-based oxide semiconductor were artificially adjusted by carefully controlling the OH– and applied voltage. In particular, Cu2O grown with a sufficient supply of OH– ions exhibited the (111) preferred orientation, and the (200) surface facet was exposed, independently achieving 90% decomposition efficiency in a methyl orange (MO) solution for 100 min. This specialized method minimizes the recombination loss of electron–hole pairs by increasing the charge separation and transport efficiency of the bulk and surface of the Cu2O multifunctional absorption layer. These discoveries and comprehension not only offer valuable perspectives on mitigating self-photocorrosion in Cu2O absorbing layers but also provide a convenient and expeditious method for the mass production of water purification systems that harness unlimited solar energy. These properties enable significant energy saving and promote high-speed independent removal of organic pollutants (i.e., MO reduction) during the water purification process.