Photocatalytic Applications of Copper Nanostructures

Copper-based nanostructures have emerged as versatile photocatalysts, combining abundance, low cost and strong visible-light absorption. Tunable morphologies—from nanosheets and nanospheres to hierarchical flowers and porous networks—enable large surface areas and abundant active sites. Bandgap engineering through particle size control, phase composition and hybridisation with carbonaceous or metal–oxide components optimises light harvesting and charge separation. The incorporation of copper sulfide, copper oxide and mixed-metal oxides facilitates the generation of reactive oxygen species under illumination, driving oxidative decomposition of organic pollutants, water splitting and microbial inactivation. Strategies such as heterojunction formation, surface functionalisation and sacrificial agents suppress electron–hole recombination, enhance photostability and improve recyclability. Collectively, these developments point towards practical applications in wastewater treatment, air purification and solar fuel production, with scalable synthesis and robust performance under solar or visible-light irradiation.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated cobalt hydroxide–copper oxide nanocomposites that achieve rapid photodegradation of rhodamine B under visible light, exploiting synergistic absorption and persulfate activation to produce sulphate and superoxide radicals. Foundational work on nanoporous copper sulfide produced by chemical dealloying revealed exceptionally high surface area and reduced charge-carrier recombination, enabling effective degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange. Additionally, hybrid assemblies of carboxylated graphene oxide with copper sulfide nanoparticles have shown enhanced visible-light absorption and charge-transfer between components, yielding high rates of phenol and dye photodegradation alongside antibacterial activity, underscoring their promise for water treatment.

Photocatalytic Applications of Copper Nanostructures publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in photocatalytic applications of copper nanostructures across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Photocatalysis: Acceleration of chemical reactions by a light-activated catalyst that generates reactive species at illuminated surfaces.

Bandgap energy: Energy difference between the valence and conduction bands of a semiconductor, determining the wavelength of absorbed light.

Heterojunction: Interface between two semiconductor materials with different band structures, promoting directional charge separation.

Electron–hole recombination: Process by which excited electrons and holes reunite, dissipating energy and reducing catalytic efficiency.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Highly reactive molecules such as hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, produced in photocatalysis to oxidise pollutants.

References

1. Nanoporous CuS with excellent photocatalytic property. Scientific Reports (2015).
2. Facile room-temperature synthesis of carboxylated graphene oxide-copper sulfide nanocomposite with high photodegradation and disinfection activities under solar light irradiation. Scientific Reports (2015).
3. Synergistic Catalysis of Co(OH)2/CuO for the Degradation of Organic Pollutant Under Visible Light Irradiation. Scientific Reports (2020).
4. Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalysis of Nanocomposites of Copper Oxide and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for the Degradation of Methylene Blue. Catalysts (2020).
5. Copper Sulfide Based Heterojunctions as Photocatalysts for Dyes Photodegradation. Frontiers in Chemistry (2019).
6. CuS-Based Nanostructures as Catalysts for Organic Pollutants Photodegradation. Catalysts (2022).