Ornamental kale-like ZnO nanostructure/CdS nanoparticle/MoS2 nanosheet ternary heterojunctions for efficient charge transfer and robust visible-light photocatalytic performance

Abstract

Photocatalytic technology utilizing Z-scheme protocol offers a promising method for eliminating contaminants from water in the presence of visible light. In this work, by combining hydrothermal and chemical deposition methods, a new type of ornamental kale-like ZnO nanostructure/CdS nanoparticle/MoS2 nanosheet (ZCM) ternary photocatalyst was fabricated, which exhibits excellent visible light photocatalytic performance. A small amount of MoS2 nanosheets significantly improves the activity of the double Z-scheme ZCM photocatalyst. As compared to ZnO/CdS, the pseudo-first-order kinetic constant of the best ZCM sample for degradation of rhodamine B is 2.2 times higher. In light of free radical capture and PL results, a Z-scheme transport mechanism was revealed to increase the carrier separation rate and maintain strong redox stability. This study provides a solid basis for designing Z-scheme photocatalysts and developing a range of visible light-responsive photocatalysts.