Monodisperse CuS nanodisks: low-temperature solvothermal synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic activity

Abstract

Controllable synthesis of uniformly disk-shaped CuS nanostructures with a narrow size distribution was realized by a low-temperature (150 °C) solvothermal process using polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as the surfactant. Monodispersed nanodisks of pure CuS phase with an average diameter of ca. 500 nm could be obtained at a specific S/Cu molar ratio (x_S/Cu) of raw materials, which was revealed to affect the phase structure and morphology of the product but the influence of PVP content (x_PVP) is limited. The CuS nanodisks have a broad absorption in the visible region and superior photocatalytic performances for the degradation of RhB whose decomposition rate reaches 93% in 2 h, indicating a potential application in the field of wastewater treatment.