Three-Dimensional Zn0.5Cd0.5S/Reduced Graphene Oxide Hybrid Aerogel: Facile Synthesis and the Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Property for Reduction of Cr(VI) in Water

Abstract

A series of three-dimensional ZnxCd1-xS/reduced graphene oxide (ZnxCd1-xS/RGO) hybrid aerogels was successfully synthesized based on a one-pot hydrothermal approach, which were subsequently used as visible-light-driven photocatalysts for photoreduction of Cr(VI) in water. Over 95% of Cr(VI) was photoreduced by Zn0.5Cd0.5S/RGO aerogel material within 140 min, and such photocatalytic performance was superior to that of other ZnxCd1-xS/RGO aerogel materials (x≠0.5) and bare Zn0.5Cd0.5S. It was assumed that the enhanced photocatalytic activity of Zn0.5Cd0.5S/RGO aerogel was attributed to its high specific surface area and the preferable synergetic catalytic effect between Zn0.5Cd0.5S and RGO. Besides, Zn0.5Cd0.5S/RGO aerogel materials were robust and durable enough so that they could be reused several times with merely limited loss of photocatalytic activity. The chemical composition, phase, structure, and morphology of Zn0.5Cd0.5S/RGO aerogel material were carefully examined by a number of techniques like XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, Raman characterizations, and so on. It was found that Zn0.5Cd0.5S/RGO aerogel possessed hierarchically porous architecture with the specific surface area as high as 260.8 m2 g−1. The Zn0.5Cd0.5S component incorporated in Zn0.5Cd0.5S/RGO aerogel existed in the form of solid solution nanoparticles, which were uniformly distributed in the RGO matrix.