Photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of CdS nanoparticles prepared by solvothermal method

CdS nanoparticles have been prepared via solvothermal method, by reaction of cadmium chloride and thiourea in ethylenediamine and ethanol mixed solvent. The characteristics of the CdS nanoparticles have been studied by XRD, TEM, HRTEM and FT-IR. The photoluminescence spectra of the CdS nanoparticles in three organic solvents, viz., ethanol, tetrahydrofuran and N-N-dimethyl formamide, have been conducted. The photocatalytic properties of the CdS nanoparticles have been evaluated for the degradation of five different dyes under irradiation of UV light. In addition, the antibacterial activitiy of the CdS nanoparticles against Escherichia coli have been investigated for the first time by microcalorimetric method. The results indicate that the as-prepared CdS nanoparticles can be used as not only a high-powered photocatalyst for potential application in the fields of industrial and environmental control but also as an excellent antibacterial agent.