Self-Assembly of TiO₂/CdS Mesoporous Microspheres with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity via Hydrothermal Method

Abstract

Self assembly of TiO 2 /CdS mesoporous microspheres was synthesized via hydrothermal method. The samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis (EDS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and photoluminescence spectra (PL). The as-synthesized TiO 2 /CdS mesoporous microspheres showed superior photocatalytic activity for the degradation of RhB under either visible light or simulated sunlight irradiation; the 10 wt% TiO 2 /CdS sample showed the best performance. Moreover, this catalyst showed improved stability, and the activity did not decrease significantly after four recycles. The heterojunction between TiO 2 and CdS may be favorable for the transport of photoinduced electrons from CdS to TiO 2 . In addition, the mesoporous structure could increase the utilization of light energy and facilitate the diffusion of reactants and products during the photocatalytic reaction.