Photocatalytic and antibacterial properties of copper hydroxyphosphate with hierarchical superstructures synthesized by a hydrothermal method

Copper hydroxyphosphate, Cu₂PO₄OH, with various architectures was synthesized by adjusting pH values in a simple hydrothermal route. The photocatalytic activity of the Cu₂PO₄OH hierarchical superstructures was strongly related to their micro-morphology, as demonstrated by the degradation of eosin Y dye with a solar simulator. Excellent photocatalytic performance was achieved by Cu₂PO₄OH obtained under the pH values of 7 and 5. The antibacterial properties of the Cu₂PO₄OH complex superstructures were also explored by Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739) culturing. Cu₂PO₄OH showed apparent antibacterial properties but the samples obtained under the pH values of 5 and 7 exhibited better antibacterial properties than those of the Cu₂PO₄OH under the pH value of 2.5. Thus, Cu₂PO₄OH can be a promising photocatalyst with excellent antibacterial properties achieved by simply controlling its hierarchical superstructures by adjusting the pH values during feasible synthesis.