Tempalte-induced interfacial construction of mesoporous CuS hollow spherical caps with tunable height, light receiving region and photocatalytic activities

A new micro/nano-structured material, mesoporous CuS hollow spherical cap (HSC), was fabricated on the surface of a solution by template-induced interfacial reaction. The Cu2(OH)2CO3 microspheres modified with vinyl trimethoxy silane were floated on the mixed aqueous solution of ethanol and thioacetamide, and acted as the template and the copper source. At the solid-liquid interface thioacetamide reacted with Cu2(OH)2CO3 to produce CuS shells around the immersed part of the template, and then the mesoporous CuS HSC was obtain by removal of the template. Controlling the content of ethanol could systemically tune the immersed depth and the HSC height. Such HSCs displayed increased photocatalytic activity in degradation of methyl blue with the decrease of the HSC height. In addition to the conventional specific surface area, the activity regions accessible by light (light receiving region) were analyzed by optical simulation for the first time and considered an important factor in enhancing the photocatalytic activity of HSC structure. The present study not only shows a facile strategy to fabricate activity-tunable CuS HSC photocatalyst, but also establishes a relationship between the geometry of morphology and photocatalytic performance. By controlling the immersed depth of modified Cu2(OH)2CO3 microspheres, mesoporous CuS hollow spherical cap (HSC) with different heights and total hollow microsphere were fabricated and subjected to investigate the relationship between the height of HSC and lighting area. It is found that the lower the height of the HSC, the more surface area receiving light and thus the highly efficiency in photocatalytic activity. [Display omitted] •The height of CuS hollow spherical cap (HSC) can be controlled via template-induced interfacial reaction.•The lower the height of CuS HSC is, the more highly photocatalytic activity.•Relation between area receiving light and surface area of CuS HSC was quantitatively analyzed.•Activity regions accessible by light were analyzed by optical simulation.