Title: Solvent composition induced structure control of cadmium sulphide nanoparticles and investigations on photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

Authors: Aravindan Natarajan; Mohanraj Shanmuganathan; Ezhilan Jayabal; Venkatesan Rangarajan

Addresses: Advanced Materials Research Lab, Department of Chemistry, Pondicherry University, R.V. Nagar, Kalapet, Puducherry 605 014, India ' Advanced Materials Research Lab, Department of Chemistry, Pondicherry University, R.V. Nagar, Kalapet, Puducherry 605 014, India ' Advanced Materials Research Lab, Department of Chemistry, Pondicherry University, R.V. Nagar, Kalapet, Puducherry 605 014, India ' Advanced Materials Research Lab, Department of Chemistry, Pondicherry University, R.V. Nagar, Kalapet, Puducherry 605 014, India

Abstract: The structural regulation of nanoparticles is a challenging task without any structure determining agents such as templates, surfactants, etc. In the present study, the structure of cadmium sulphide nanoparticles (CdS NPs) has been effortlessly changed from hexagonal to face centred cubic structure under solvothermal conditions by facile volume ratio adjustment of the solvents (water and ethanol). The various CdS NPs prepared have been investigated using different characterisation techniques and their structure, size and morphology vary with respect to the solvent composition. Furthermore, the photocatalytic performance of CdS NPs has been investigated using Methylene Blue (MB) as model organic pollutant. It has been observed that the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of MB is significantly influenced by the structure of CdS NPs.

Keywords: cadmium sulphide; nanoparticles; photocatalysts; methylene blue; dye degradation; mixed solvent; semiconductor; structure control; cubic phase; hexagonal phase.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2021.116161

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2021 Vol.18 No.5/6/7/8, pp.400 - 413

Published online: 12 Jul 2021 *

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