A novel CuSbS 2 –TiO 2 nanoparticles synergy structure for photocatalysis

In this work, a synergy structure to improve the photocatalytic properties of materials was proposed. CuSbS2 nanoparticles synthesized by microwave irradiation method were dispersed in TiO2 sol to form CuSbS2–TiO2 nanoparticles. The properties of composite materials with different TiO2 sol concentration were investigated by XRD, XPS, etc. The results indicated the as-synthesized CuSbS2 nanoparticles exhibited chalcostibite structure and the TiO2 showed anatase phase. The CuSbS2–TiO2 nanoparticles had high absorbance in the visible light and good photocatalysts for the photodegradation reaction of Rhodamine B (RhB). When TiO2 sol concentration was 0.23 mol/L, the sample possessed a photocatalytic degradation rate of 0.002 min−1 for the degradation of RhB, which was 3 times higher than that by the bare amorphous TiO2 (0.0007 min−1).