Synthesis and characterization of solution-processable Cd1–xZnxS nanorods for photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

Abstract

Photocatalytic degradation of broadband antibiotics like tetracycline (TC) under visible-light irradiation is considered as an efficient and cost-effective protocol for eliminating it from the aqueous medium. In this study, highly efficient solution-processable Cd1−xZnxS photocatalysts were synthesized using a simple solvothermal route where zinc acetate and cadmium acetate were used as precursors. Composition-tunable alloyed nanorods with bandgap energy tunability ranging from UV (3.7 eV) to Vis (2.5 eV) were synthesized and structural and optical characterization was performed thoroughly. With the increase of Zn content in the Cd1−xZnxS crystal, the 1LO phonon shifts notably towards higher wavenumber. The performance of Cd1−xZnxS nanorod photocatalyst is strongly related to the ratio of Cd and Zn. The Cd0.75Zn0.25S sample exhibits the highest photocatalytic degradation rate constant compared to the other family members. The scavenger experiment revealed that the holes are the main responsible species, whereas hydroxyl radicals have weak roles and electrons have mild effects for the photocatalytic degradation of TC. Our study gives new insight towards the designing of ternary photocatalytic materials for efficient removal of antibiotics from aqueous solution.