On the properties of CuO/ZnO heterostructures obtained via thermal decomposition of metal acetates: Role of precursor strategy

CuO/ZnO heterostructures were synthesized via thermal decomposition of metal acetates following two distinct precursor strategies. Initially, pure CuO and ZnO powders were obtained by separate decomposition of copper(II) acetate monohydrate and zinc acetate dihydrate, respectively. In the first approach, both acetates were mixed prior to thermal treatment, yielding a direct CuO/ZnO heterostructure. In contrast, a second heterostructure was prepared by combining pre-synthesized CuO with zinc acetate before decomposition, resulting in a compositionally similar but structurally distinct material. All samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), and evaluated for their photocatalytic activity under UV–Vis irradiation. The analysis revealed that the precursor route significantly influenced the particle size, crystallite size, optical emission profiles, and photocatalytic performance. These findings highlight the critical role of synthesis design in tuning the functional properties of CuO/ZnO-based heterostructures and open new pathways for optimizing oxide-based photocatalysts through simple and scalable fabrication routes.