Solvothermal synthesis of Cu2O nano-microspheres with high visible-light adsorption properties

Cu 2 O showed a great application prospect in catalysis and solar cells due to its advantages of low cost, nontoxicity, and excellent electrical properties. Here, the synthesis of Cu 2 O nano-microspheres was reported through using glycol as solvent without toxic chemicals and complex craft. During the research, it is found that the separation solvent and static time played a critical role in the formation of Cu 2 O nano-microsphere. If the sample was immediately separated with water, nano-microsphere would be changed into the dendrite structure consisting of small particles. The formation mechanism of the dendritic structure and nano-microsphere was investigated. Meantime, the N 2 adsorption–desorption isotherms and pore-size distribution were studied. Finally, the migration and recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs were analyzed through the photocurrent and electrochemical impedance. The results indicated that the nano-microsphere structure had smaller impedance and the faster separation efficiency of electrons and holes under visible-light excitation. Graphical abstract