Evaluation of microstructural, optical, vibrational properties and photocatalytic activity of CdO nanostructure

Abstract

Microwave irradiation was used to prepare the CdO nanostructure for photocatalytic activity. The X-ray diffraction profile after 600 °C annealing confirms the phase transition from monoclinic Cd(OH2) to CdO cubic structure. The typical crystallite sizes of the prepared and annealed nanoparticles are 34 nm–52 nm. The presence of functional groups in the samples is supported by vibrational studies. The optical band gap of as-prepared and annealed samples was calculated using UV spectra. It was discovered to be 3.06 eV for the as-prepared sample and 2.17 eV for the annealed sample. Photoluminescence measurement was selected to study the optical performance of CdO nanoparticles. They confirm the green emission at 522 nm. The morphological and elemental analyses of the CdO nanostructure were recorded using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The spherical-shaped CdO nanostructures with a uniform size distribution are clearly visible in scanning electron micrographs. TEM micrographs confirm the size of the spherical shaped particles is 50 nm. Using the energy dispersive spectrum, the expected percentages of elements Cd and O were determined. The photocatalytic activity of CdO nanoparticles was tested using methylene blue and rhodamine B.