Efficient degradation of methylene blue: A comparative study using hydrothermally synthesised SnS2, WS2 and VS2 nanostructures

Visible light driven photocatalysis has attracted great interest owing to their potential application in degradation of organic dyes. Transformation of toxic dyes to their non-toxic form is mandatory in the present scenario. Methylene blue (MB) is one such dye used in paper and textile industries. Transition metal dichalcogenides can be utilised as catalyst for dye degradation owing to their two-dimensional layered structure and small band gap. In this work, hydrothermally synthesised SnS2, WS2 and VS2 nanostructures were investigated for their photocatalytic degradation of MB under visible light. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the nanostructures were also discussed. VS2 nanoflakes exhibited superior catalytic property than SnS2 and WS2 nanostructures in degrading MB. 99 % of MB degradation was achieved in 10 min using VS2 in the presence of NaBH4. This study provides an insight to a new and efficient visible light driven photocatalyst for the degradation of organic dyes.