Rapidly photocatalytic degradation of toluene boosted by plasmonic effect and Schottky junction on Pt nanoparticles engineered self-supporting Cu2O nanowires

[Display omitted] •Cu2O nanowire arrays with sized controlled Pt nanoparticles grow on Cu mesh.•Pt nanoparticles and Cu2O construct Schottky heterojunction and Pt NPs endow plasmonic effect.•Pt/Cu2O Schottky barrier prevents the recombination of electron-hole pairs.•Pt nanoparticles enables thermal heating and oscillating electric field for accelerating photocatalysis.•·OH, 1O2 and ·O2− are all generated by Pt/Cu2O.•Toluene is rapidly mineralized on Pt/Cu2O nanowire arrays. Photocatalytic degradation indoor toluene is one of the most environment-compatible strategies for manufacturing advanced air purifiers. A novel self-supporting photocatalysts, Pt/Cu2O nanowires growing from Cu mesh were constructed using energy-saving methods. The 5 nm Pt nanoparticles are well dispersed on Cu2O, establishing intimate Pt/Cu2O Schottky junction that curtails electron-hole recombination. Additionally, Pt nanoparticles contribute a plasmonic heating effect and an oscillating electric field for accelerating the photocatalytic rates and enhancing overall catalytic activity. By virtue of the Pt/Cu2O Schottky junction and plasmonic effect of the Pt nanoparticles, toluene is efficiently mineralized into CO2 and H2O. The optimal Pt/Cu2O catalyst achieve a toluene elimination rate of 93.65%, with the mineralization degree high up to 92.23%. This study confirms the practicability of the self-supporting Pt/Cu2O catalyst, which figures out new ideas for designing high-performance photocatalyst for removing typical and toxic volatile organic compounds.