ZnO/Cu₂O/Si Nanowire Arrays as Ternary Heterostructure-Based Photocatalysts with Enhanced Photodegradation Performances

Abstract: Ternary ZnO/Cu₂O/Si nanowire arrays with vertical regularity were prepared with all-solution processed method at low temperature. In addition to the detailed characterizations of morphologies and crystallographic patterns, the analyses of photoluminescence and photocurrents revealed the sound carrier separation owing from the established step-like band structures. By modeling the photodegradation process of the prepared heterostructures through kinetic investigations and scavenger examinations, the photocatalytic removal of MB dyes was found to follow the second-order kinetic model with reaction constant more than 15.3 times higher than bare Si nanowires and achieved 5.7 times and 3.4 times than ZnO/Si and Cu₂O/Si binary heterostructures, respectively. Moreover, the highly stable photoactivity of ZnO/Cu₂O/Si photocatalysts was evidenced from the repeated photodegradation tests, which demonstrated the robust photocatalytic efficiency after cycling uses. The facile synthesis along with in-depth mechanism study of such ternary heterostructures could be potential for practical treatment for organic pollutants. Keywords: HeterostructurePhotocatalystSilicon nanowire arraysKinetic study.