Controlled Growth from ZnS Nanoparticles to ZnS–CdS Nanoparticle Hybrids with Enhanced Photoactivity

Abstract

Chalcogenide nanostructures and nanocomposites have been the focus of semiconductor nanomaterial research due to their remarkable optoelectronic and photocatalytic properties and potential application in photodegrading enviromental pollutions. However, currently available synthesizing methods tend to be costly and ineffi cient. In this paper, we propose a facile two-step solution-phase method to synthesize well-defi ned monodisperse ZnS-CdS nanocomposites. The morphology and size of ZnS nanoparticles can be easily controlled by adjusting the amount of the source of sulfur. After surface modifi cation with tiny CdS nanoparticles through natural electrostatic attrac- tion, uniform ZnS-CdS nanocomposites are obtained, which has been further confi rmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The photocatalytic activities of various ZnS samples and ZnS-CdS nanocomposites have been investigated by degrading Rhodamine B under UV-light. Compared with pure ZnS nanoparticles and ZnS powders, the as-obtainedZnS-CdS nanocomposites exhibit excellent photocatalytic performances due to the effective charge separation and increased specifi c surface area by the attachment of CdS. Moreover, resulting from the effective passivation of surface electronic states, the photoluminescence intensity of the ZnS-CdS nanocomposites is also signifi cantly improved relative to plain ZnS.

Layer-controlled growth of MoS2 on self-assembled flower-like Bi2S3 for enhanced photocatalysis under visible light irradiation

“…After 240 min of irradiation, the highest removal efficiency of 89% was obtained by the 3D MoS 2 /Bi 2 S 3 (MoBi-30; Figure 5b), that is, higher than the results of some typical visible photocatalysts (Supplementary Figure S14). [42][43][44] The 3D MoS 2 /Bi 2 S 3 (MoBi-30) exhibited not only the largest adsorption capacity, but also the highest catalytic activity for atrazine degradation under visible light irradiation. Apparently, its high catalytic activity should be attributed to the strong synergistic effects between the good interfacial mass transfer and the rapid surface chemical reaction.…”

Intergrowth of Cocatalysts with Host Photocatalysts for Improved Solar-to-Hydrogen Conversion

“…2.4 eV and appropriate conduction band potential has been extensively investigated as a visible-light-driven photocatalyst for hydrogen generation. [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] High solar-to-hydrogen conversion yields were reported for the CdS-based photocatalysts. 19,21 Therefore, CdS should be an ideal model photocatalyst to examine the specific characters of cocatalysts.…”

Nickel Cobaltite Nanostructures for Photoelectric and Catalytic Applications

“…[ 7 ] Numerous highly effi cient energy-conversion (such as solar cells, photocatalysis, and electrocatalysis) and storage (such as supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries, metal-air batteries) systems have been developed to meet this challenge. [ 8,9 ] Essentially, the electrode materials play a primary role in the practical performance of those energy systems. [ 10 ] Among the various metal oxides widely used in these systems, NiCo 2 O 4 is of great interest as one of the most promising candidates for electrode materials.…”