Facile synthesis, enhanced field emission and photocatalytic activities of Cu2O?TiO2?ZnO ternary hetero-nanostructures

Cu2O–TiO2–ZnO ternary nano-heteroarchitectures were designed and successfully fabricated using titanium (IV) oxideacetylacetonate (TiO(acac)2) as a precursor and polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a binding agent. Field emission and photocatalytic activities of pure Cu2O nanopines, Cu2O–TiO2 core–shell nanopines and Cu2O–TiO2–ZnO ternary composites were investigated and compared. The results revealed that the as-prepared nano-heterojunctions and nanoparticles at the surface remarkably enhanced the field emission and photocatalytic activities of pure Cu2O nanopines. The as-prepared nano-heterojunctions induced interfacial states and energy band differentials, which caused electron transition and the inhibition of photo-induced electron–hole pair recombination. The nanoparticles at the surface formed thousands of surface nano-protrusions and active sites for photocatalytic chemical reactions.