Synergic effect of a MoS2–V2O5 heterostructure as an advanced catalyst for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

Abstract

Developing a highly efficient catalyst for rapid removal of toxic and harmful pollutants is urgently required to protect the aquatic environment and human health. In the present study, MoS₂ modified V₂O₅ (MoS₂–V₂O₅ hetero-structure) as an advanced photo-catalyst is synthesized using a hydrothermal approach. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared MoS₂–V₂O₅ hetero-structure is assessed by its capability to degrade methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation. It is found that the synthesized hetero-structured photo-catalyst exhibits 97.35% degradation of MB within 17 min of irradiation exposure which is higher than that of pristine V₂O₅ (85.32%) and that of MoS₂ (89.06%) structures. The kinetic study indicates that MoS₂–V₂O₅ has the highest rate constant at 0.2137 min⁻¹, which is about 2.7 times greater than that of MoS₂ (0.07904 min⁻¹) and approximately 3.34 times higher than that of V₂O₅ (0.06397 min⁻¹). Moreover, scavenging experiments demonstrated that hydroxyl radicals and holes played a significant role in the photodegradation of MB. Furthermore, the developed catalyst shows excellent stability and recyclability, which are desirable for photocatalytic applications. Consequently, forming a heterostructure with strong synergistic interaction can effectively enhance the transfer of excited charge carriers and reduce their recombination rate. It is suggested that MoS₂–V₂O₅ hetero-structured photo-catalyst will offer a novel platform to resolve the environmental issues.