Sonochemical synthesis and catalytic activity of the composite of Cu2O–clinoptilolite nanoparticle

A two-stage synthesis of the “Cu2O nanoparticles–clinoptilolite” composite was carried out, which involved ultrasonic cavitation-intensified ion exchange of cations in the clinoptilolite framework for Cu2+ ions from an aqueous solution of copper sulfate and reduction of Cu2+ ions to Cu2O nanoparticles with hydrazine. It was found that, in addition to the clinoptilolite peaks, the diffractogram of the synthesized material contained other peaks, which were mutually consistent with the cuprite (Cu2O) model with a cubic structure, and the average size of the Cu2O crystallite, calculated from the reflection assigned to the (111) plane, was ~ 13 nm. It was found that pseudospherical Cu2O nanoparticles were uniformly distributed over the surface of the clinoptilolite framework, and the weighted average size of Cu2O nanoparticles was ~ 61 nm. “Cu2O nanoparticles–clinoptilolite” composite was tested as a catalyst for the decomposition of potassium periodate during the degradation of the Acid red 14 dye in an ultrasonic cavitation field. At a catalyst content in the reaction medium of 4 g/l, a dye degradation degree of 96.9% was achieved within 30 min. The scavenging method identified singlet oxygen as the dominant reactive oxygen form, which played a key role in dye degradation.