title: Novel C₃N₄/Zn(1-x)Cd(x)S heterostructures with adjustment of the band gap and their visible light photocatalytic properties.
abstract: In this study, C3N4/Zn(1-x)Cd(x)S (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) heterostructures with adjustment of the band gap were successfully prepared by calcination and a hydrothermal synthesis method. The photocatalytic properties of C3N4/Zn(1-x)Cd(x)S composite photocatalysts were evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of RhB under visible light irradiation. The results showed that the combination of the two semiconductor photocatalysts (C3N4 and Zn(1-x)Cd(x)S) greatly enhanced the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of RhB compared to the pure C3N4 and Zn(1-x)Cd(x)S under visible light irradiation. Among them, the 0.1C3N4/Zn0.8Cd0.2S composite photocatalyst exhibited the highest photocatalytic activities with the degradation efficiency of RhB arriving to 97.9% within 90 min. The remarkable photocatalytic activity of the 0.1C3N4/Zn0.8Cd0.2S composite photocatalyst was mainly attributed to the appropriate band structure and the effective separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Additionally, a possible basic mechanism of the composite semiconductor photocatalytic process was also discussed. Moreover, it was also investigated that O2(˙⁻) and h(+) were the main reactive oxidative species in this photocatalytic process of the degradation of RhB on the 0.1C3N4/Zn0.8Cd0.2S heterostructure photocatalyst.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, P. R. China. songxuchunfj@163.com.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Analysis and Measurement, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yi Fan
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, 310018, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Hao Yong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, P. R. China. songxuchunfj@163.com.
authors.forename: Xu Chun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Song