Cauliflower shaped CdO:Mo nanostructures with enhanced photocatalytic activity against the degradation of metanil yellow dye

Abstract

The present work reports the improvement in the structural, optical, electrical and photocatalytic properties of molybdenum doped CdO (CdO:Mo) thin films deposited on glass substrates by spray pyrolysis technique. XRD patterns reveal a strong (1 1 1) preferential orientation for the CdO:Mo thin films. Cauliflower shaped nanostructures were evinced with Mo doping. EDX and XPS analyses confirmed the presence of Mo in the doped films The doped films exhibit better transparency with the band gap being varied from 2.46 eV to 2.56 eV with increase in Mo doping concentration. The doped films exhibit better photodegradation efficiencies against the decolorization of metanil yellow due to enhanced energy transfer. Among the doped films, a remarkable efficiency of 87.3 % was observed for the 2 wt% Mo-doped CdO catalyst. Also, the more stable and reusable nature makes CdO:Mo catalysts suitable for practical applications for the degradation of toxic dyes.