Synergistic effect of CuO coupled with MoS2 for enhanced photodegradation of organic dyes under visible light

Abstract

A series of MoS2-modified CuO (CuO/MoS2) heterostructures were successfully fabricated. The photodegradation properties of organic dyes were explored in detail under visible light. The photocatalytic results demonstrate that the CuO/MoS2-3 heterostructure delivers superior degradation rates towards methyl violet dye (MV) and rhodamine B (RhB), reaching 99.8% and 95.3% within 30 min, respectively. The decent photodegradation activity is due to improved visible light adsorption and faster transfer of electron-hole pairs. The radical trapping experiments show that superoxide radicals (·O2-) and holes (h+) are the main active species in the removal of MV. Furthermore, the CuO/MoS2-3 composite possesses the prominent stability and recyclability. This work offers a highly sustainable technique for designing a high-efficiency photocatalyst to remove environmental pollutants.