Hydrothermal synthesis of photo-catalyst and photo-luminescence polymer-CdS flexible nanocomposites

CdS nanoparticles are II-VI group semiconductor in nature with suitable band gap for photoluminescence and photo-catalyst applications. CdS nanostructures were synthesized via a facile precipitation method in the presence of green capping agents such as starch, glucose, gelatin, salicylic acid in the green solvent of water. The influence of concentration, surfactant, precipitating agent on the particle size and shape of the products were examined. Then for preparation of polymer based nanocomposites, cadmium sulphide nanoparticles were added to poly styrene, poly vinyl alcohol, cellulose acetate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The photocatalytic behaviour of cadmium sulfide was evaluated using the degradation of three azo dyes (methyl orang, acid violet 49 and acid black 1) under ultraviolet and visible light irradiation. Our results confirm preparation of pure semiconductor nanoparticles and polymer-based thin film nanocomposite with both appropriate photo-luminescence and photocatalytic performance simultaneously. Interestingly outcomes show photocatalysts can photo-degrade toxic dyes in less than 15 min.