Bridging and synergistic effect of the pyrochlore like Bi2Zr2O7 structure with robust CdCuS solid solution for durable photocatalytic removal of the organic pollutants

Abstract

Herein, a strong redox ability photocatalyst of CdCuS solid solution composited with pyrochlore like Bi₂Zr₂O₇ has been fabricated by the simple hydrothermal method. The robust CdCuS solid solution materials perform the supporting role to the Bi₂Zr₂O₇ nano materials. The structural, optical, valence and vibrational states of the prepared heterostructure materials were analyzed using various characterization techniques. The photocatalytic activity of the as-synthesized Bi₂Zr₂O₇/CdCuS heterostructure has been verified under direct solar light and ambient conditions. The synthesized Bi₂Zr₂O₇/CdCuS nano combination exhibits a better photocatalytic activity for the removal of methylene blue and 4-nitrophenol organic probe molecules. The heterostructure formation between the samples is confirmed by HRTEM analysis. The improved rate of the photocatalytic reaction of the samples is attributed to the formation of heterostructures at the interface. The close interfacial contact between the two materials discloses the effective charge transfer, which leads to suppressed charge carrier recombination. The enhanced photo catalytic activity of redox-mediator-free-Bi₂Zr₂O₇/CdCuS heterostructure, possibly will be credited to the robust redox ability and the several charge transfer channels in the tight contact. The chief radicals produced in the catalytic reduction reaction have been predicted by the scavenger trapping methods and the results are discussed in detail. The obtained information from this study on Bi₂Zr₂O₇/CdCuS delivers some new visions for the design of active photocatalysts with multiple benefits.