Second phase CuO boosted photocatalytic activity of fluorine doped CuO nanoparticles.

The photocatalytic activity of fluorine (F) doped CuO nanoparticles (NPs) prepared employing modified sol-gel process was investigated here in this study. Structural and elemental characterization using XRD and XPS data confirmed successful incorporation of F as dopant. F doping led to lattice distortion and reduced crystallinity with smaller crystallite size while promoting the emergence of CuO as the second phase.