Fabrication of novel PN-heterojunction CuS/TiO2 nanocomposite for the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B dye under visible light irradiation

Abstract

ABSTRACT. In the current study, a novel visible light-active photocatalyst CuS/TiO₂ nanocomposite was synthesized by a template-free hydrothermal method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the formation of synthesized nanocomposites and the structural characteristics of synthesized nanoparticles were characterized and confirmed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The morphology and particle size of synthesized nanocomposites were measured by a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), which revealed an average particle size of around 30 nm. The optimized efficiency of the fabricated photocatalyst was assessed for the photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye. It was observed that the photodegradation efficiency of CuS/TiO₂-Y composites having a molar ratio of 1:1 for RhB was found to be 89.54% under visible light irradiation.

KEY WORDS: CuS/TiO₂ nanocomposite, Heterojunction structure, Rhodamine B, Photodegradation, Visible light irradiation

Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2023, 37(6), 1553-1564. 
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v37i6.19