The Construction of a ZnO/CdS Heterostructure with Synergistic Enhanced Effect in Photocatalytic and Self-Cleaning Performance

Abstract

In this work, we explore the synergy of the photocatalytic reaction endowed with improvement of self-cleaning performance. A ZnO/CdS heterostructure was successfully synthesized by hydrothermal-chemical bath deposition on a zinc substrate. The effect of different experimental parameters for its structure and properties were systematically studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV–Vis spectrophotometry. In addition, superhydrophobic ZnO/CdS was treated by stearic acid modification with a contact angle as high as 160 ± 1.5° and rolling angle as low as 5 ± 1.2°. In the self-cleaning test and photocatalytic degradation test, the superhydrophobic heterostructure exhibited excellent anti-fouling properties and photocatalytic performance. Moreover, after the photocatalytic degradation test, the contact angle of the modified superhydrophobic surface remained 142 ± 2.4°.