Visible light responsive 2DCeO2-CdSQDs binary hybrid towards photocatalytic degradation of phenol

Abstract

Environmental pollutions are now regarded as a major catastrophe for society, so the scientific community in search of efficient technology which can tackle this issue. Photocatalysis has emerged as one of the cost effective, clean and eco-friendly approach, which efficiently deals the various type of environmental pollutants. In this contest, different semiconductor materials have gained much more popularity. In this regard, we have modified 2D-CeO2 with CdSQDs with a simple deposition precipitation technique. As CdSQDs posses high cross-sections for multiple photon absorption and large oscillator strengths as compared with their bulk CdS counterparts makes it a suitable candidate for hybrid material with CeO2 which extends the spectral range of the absorption from UV to UV-visible range. Further, the formation of type-II heterostructure in between CdSQDs and 2D-CeO2 efficiently enhances the interfacial charge transfer and chemical stability. Structural, optical and morphological characterization of the fabricated samples were carried out by XRD, UV, PL and TEM analysis. The photocatalytic activity of the fabricated samples was tested towards phenol degradation where the degradation efficiency of hybrid CeO2NS-CdSQDs was found to be 71% in 2 h.