Construction of a novel BiSI/MoS2 nanocomposite with enhanced visible-light driven photocatalytic performance

Abstract

A facile hydrothermal method was applied to synthesize BiSI/MoS₂ with efficient solar photocatalytic activity. BET surface area analysis, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and an X-ray diffraction method (XRD) contributed to the characterisation of the prepared samples. The degradation of crystal violet (CV) under visible-light illumination was scrutinized in order to evaluate the photocatalytic performance of the photocatalyst. Considerably, the activities of both single MoS₂ and BiSI were less than that of the composite photocatalyst for photodegradation of CV. The high specific surface area, good electrical carrier mobility and advantageous absorption capability of BiSI/MoS₂ resulted in the improved photocatalytic activity. This work provides a favorable approach for fabrication of visible-light responsive and more stable nanocomposite photocatalysts that can be applied in effective treatment of persistent pollutants in water.