Issue 38, 2018

PVP-capped CdS nanopopcorns with type-II homojunctions for highly efficient visible-light-driven organic pollutant degradation and hydrogen evolution

Abstract

In this work, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)-capped cadmium sulfide (denoted as PVP-capped CdS) nanopopcorns with tunable sizes and structures are prepared at different dose rates via one-step gamma-ray radiation-induced reduction. By means of modulating the dose rates in the synthetic process, we could control contents of hexagonal wurtzite (WZ) and cubic zinc blende (ZB) phases and the associated phase junction's distribution, aiming to achieve a type-II homojunction with a proper band alignment and effective separation of photoexcited electron–hole pairs. Under visible-light illumination, the PVP-capped CdS nanopopcorns with a size of ∼90 nm prepared at an optimal dose rate of 60 Gy min−1 show the best photoactivity (0.212 min−1) toward the degradation of rhodamine B in water as well as a H2 production rate of 3.52 mmol h−1 g−1 with cyclability. On the basis of the current results, the underlying crystal-growth and photocatalytic mechanisms are proposed. The one-step gamma-ray radiation-induced reduction approach is potentially applicable in the design and synthesis of a range of functional homojunction nanostructures for solar fuel production and environmental remediation.

Graphical abstract: PVP-capped CdS nanopopcorns with type-II homojunctions for highly efficient visible-light-driven organic pollutant degradation and hydrogen evolution

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 Apr 2018
Accepted
29 Jul 2018
First published
01 Aug 2018

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018,6, 18458-18468

PVP-capped CdS nanopopcorns with type-II homojunctions for highly efficient visible-light-driven organic pollutant degradation and hydrogen evolution

N. Zhao, J. Peng, G. Liu, Y. Zhang, W. Lei, Z. Yin, J. Li and M. Zhai, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018, 6, 18458 DOI: 10.1039/C8TA03414A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements