Spectroscopic and Thermal Analysis of CuO–ZnO Composite Particles Synthesized by Sol-Gel Method

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-928-5_2How to use a DOI?

Keywords

photocatalytic; thermal decomposition; sol-gel method

Abstract

Photocatalysis is a green technology that plays a vital role in achieving sustainable development goals and ensuring a clean environment. Metal oxide materials, in particular, have gained tremendous attention for their versatility in fields such as catalysis, semiconductors, ceramics, sensors, and energy storage. In this work, the sol-gel method has been used to synthesize CuO–ZnO composite particles. To understand their structural transformations, CuO–ZnO composite materials’ thermal decomposition and phase evolution. Thermal analysis is crucial for determining the optimal calcination temperature during synthesis. We studied mass loss and phase transitions to identify the temperature, which affects vital photocatalytic parameters including crystallization, particle size, and surface area. To examine thermal stability and temperature-specific mechanisms, we analyzed samples dried at 120 ℃ and 500 ℃ using ThermogravimetryDifferential Thermal Analysis (TG-DTA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Thermal kinetic evaluation using the Coats–Redfern method resulted in an activation energy of 38.63 kJ/mol with a strong correlation coefficient of R² = 0.94, indicating reliable thermal decomposition behavior. These values reflect moderate thermal stability, which is favorable for the formation of active photocatalytic phases without excessive energy input. We then characterized the composite’s chemical composition using Raman spectroscopy while examining its optical and morphology properties through Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and Atomic force microscopy (AFM). These findings contribute to understanding the thermal stability, crystallization behavior, and phase interactions of CuO–ZnO composites, supporting their use in photocatalysis and functional materials. The results contribute to a better understanding of the temperature-dependent transformations in CuO–ZnO materials and provide a quantitative basis for their potential applications in photocatalysis and multifunctional materials. Future work will aim to include naturally occurring Cu₂O phases in the composite structure to improve green photocatalytic efficiency and expand the use of the material in cleaning up the environment.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Davaadulam Batbileg
AU  - Narangerel Adiyasuren
AU  - Erdene Norov
AU  - Tseelei Suren
AU  - Ganzorig Chimed
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/25
TI  - Spectroscopic and Thermal Analysis of CuO–ZnO Composite Particles Synthesized by Sol-Gel Method
BT  - Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference Resources and Technology (RESAT 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 5
EP  - 22
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-928-5_2
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-928-5_2
ID  - Batbileg2025
ER  -