Synthesis of CdxZn1−xS@MIL-101(Cr) Composite Catalysts for the Photodegradation of Methylene Blue

Abstract

Nanoparticles of the semiconductor catalyst CdxZn[Formula: see text]S were embedded into the metal organic framework MIL-101(Cr) to obtain CdxZn[Formula: see text]S@MIL-101(Cr) nanocomposites. These materials not only possess high surface areas and mesopores but also show good utilization of light energy. The ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance patterns of CdxZn[Formula: see text]S@MIL-101(Cr) nanocomposites showed that Cd[Formula: see text]Zn[Formula: see text]S@MIL-101(Cr) possessed good visible light response ability among the synthesized nanocomposites. The photocatalytic performance of the CdxZn[Formula: see text]S@MIL-101(Cr) nanocomposites were tested via degradation and mineralization of methylene blue in neutral water solution under light irradiation using a 300W xenon lamp. As a result, using Cd[Formula: see text]Zn[Formula: see text]S@MIL-101(Cr) as a catalyst, 99.2% of methylene blue was mineralized within 30[Formula: see text]min. Due to the synergistic effect of adsorption by the MIL-101(Cr) component and photocatalytic degradation provided by the Cd[Formula: see text]Zn[Formula: see text]S component, the Cd[Formula: see text]Zn[Formula: see text]S@MIL-101(Cr) catalyst displayed superior photocatalytic performance relative to Cd[Formula: see text]Zn[Formula: see text]S and MIL-101(Cr). Furthermore, Cd[Formula: see text]Zn[Formula: see text]S@MIL-101(Cr) possessed excellent stability during photodegradation and exhibited good reusability. The remarkable photocatalytic performance of Cd[Formula: see text]Zn[Formula: see text]S@MIL-101(Cr) is likely due to the effective transfer of electrons and holes at the heterojunction interfaces.