Synthesis and characterization of CdS/BiPO4 heterojunction photocatalyst

Abstract A series of CdS/BiPO 4 heterojunction photocatalysts with the visible-light response were synthesized by the solvothermal method. The resulting products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV–vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy. CdS nanoparticles with the size at range of 5–7 nm were immobilized on the surface of BiPO 4 nanorods. The CdS/BiPO 4 composite exhibited much higher photodegradation rate of methylene blue under visible light irradation compared to the pure CdS and BiPO 4 . The optimal mass ratio of CdS to BiPO 4 was 0.5, the photodegradation rate of which is 2.1 times higher than that of CdS. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity is attributed to the heterojunction structure of CdS/BiPO 4 composite which induced the effective electron–hole separation between CdS and BiPO 4 .