Flowerlike Cu2Te architectures constructed from ultrathin nanoflakes as superior dye adsorbents for wastewater treatment

Abstract

Flowerlike architectures assembled from Cu₂Te nanoflakes have been synthesized using a hydrothermal reaction of Te, Cu foils, and KBH₄ with H₂O in the presence of ethanol amine (EA) at 200 °C for 12 h. The Cu₂Te flowerlike architectures with diameters of 4.0–6.0 μm are assembled from the nanoflakes with a thickness of 4.0–6.0 nm. When the as-synthesized Cu₂Te flowerlike nanoarchitectures serve as adsorbents for acid fuschin (AF), malachite green (MG), methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) in water, the adsorption capacities are 3798.1, 1122.8, 77 and 14.4 mg g⁻¹, respectively. This suggests that the Cu₂Te flowerlike architectures are excellent adsorbents for AF and MG and are promising materials for the removal of AF and MG pollutants from wastewater. The excellent adsorption performance is attributed to the renewed assembly of the constituent ultrathin Cu₂Te nanoflakes with thickness of 4.0–6.0 nm.