Hybrid of g-C3N4 and MoS2 Integrated onto Cd0.5Zn0.5S: Rational Design with Efficient Charge Transfer for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity
2018
Gogoi, Gaurangi | Keene, Sam | Patra, Anindya S. | Sahu, Tushar K. | Ardo, Shane | Qureshi, Mohammad
Rational design of hierarchical nanocomposites is a promising approach for efficient energy harvesting and conversion. A noble-metal-free ternary hierarchical composite, Cd₀.₅Zn₀.₅S-g-C₃N₄-MoS₂, has been developed. Materials were chosen based on their relative band-edge alignments and they were studied as a composite for photocatalytic properties. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by measuring the rate of photodriven H₂ evolution with concomitant degradation of organic pollutants, such as Rhodamine B. Optimization of the loading of g-C₃N₄ and MoS₂ onto Cd₀.₅Zn₀.₅S results in an enhanced yield of hydrogen evolution by ∼120% (Cd₀.₅Zn₀.₅S-g-C₃N₄) and ∼197% (Cd₀.₅Zn₀.₅S-g-C₃N₄-MoS₂) compared to bare Cd₀.₅Zn₀.₅S. The ternary hybrid, Cd₀.₅Zn₀.₅S-g-C₃N₄-MoS₂ resulted in an apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 38% at 420 nm. The significant improvement in photocatalytic performance in the composite can be attributed to enhanced interfacial charge transfer of electrons from g-C₃N₄ to Cd₀.₅Zn₀.₅S and MoS₂. We surmise that the close proximity of the energies of conduction band edge for each component in the ternary composite promotes better charge separation.
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