Visible light irradiated photocatalytic performance of SnS_2-CdO nanocomposite against the degradation of rhodamine B (cationic) and congo red (anionic) dyes

摘要

The present work focuses on the synthesis of pure SnS_2 nanopowder, pure CdO nanopowder and SnS_2-CdO nanocomposite by a cost effective chemical method using tin (II) chloride, thiourea and cadmium acetate as the precursor salts. The synthesized samples were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transmission Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Photoluminescence (PL) Spectroscopy and Electron spin resonance (ESR). Diffraction peaks related to both SnS_2 and CdO was observed in the XRD pattern of the composite. Photocatalytic studies established that the composite exhibit a photodegradation efficiency of nearly equal to 86.11% against rhoda-mine B and 92.86% against Congo red dyes. Also, the SnS_2-CdO nanocomposite exhibited enhanced photo-catalytic H_2 evolution activity, from visible light water splitting.