Synthesis and photocatalytic activity of ZnO/CuO composite for the degradation of methyl blue under vilsible light iradiation

Composite ZnO/CuO was prepared by direct formation of ZnO from Zn(OOCCH3)2 precursor in the presence of CuO with the assistant of the microwave system. The obtained composite was characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Ultraviolet–Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), which shows that the composite with a bandgap of 3.27 eV contains two components, ZnO and CuO. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO/CuO was assessed by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) in water under visible light, shows that the photocatalytic activity for the ZnO/CuO composite was remarkably improved compared to single ZnO and CuO. This result is attributed to the reduced recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs by the presence of CuO in the composite, therefore photocatalysis activity increases.