Novel hybrid nanocomposites of polyhedral Cu2O nanoparticles-CuO nanowires with enhanced photoactivity

Novel hybrid nanocomposites of Cu2O nanoparticles (NPs) partially embedded in CuO nanowires (NWs) were produced by simple thermal reduction of CuO NWs in a vacuum. It is found that most Cu2O NPs adopt two regular shapes, one being cubic and the other being octahedral. The shape selection of the Cu2O nanocrystals is governed by the orientation relationship between Cu2O NPs and CuO NWs. The formation of such hierarchical hybrid nanostructures is induced by the topotactic reduction of CuO NWs. Compared with pure CuO NWs, the polyhedral Cu2O NP–CuO NW hierarchical hybrid nanostructures exhibit enhanced ability to photodegrade methyl orange under visible light, which is attributed to the synergic effects of CuO NWs and Cu2O NPs.