The catalytic and photocatalytic properties of InP-CdS and ZnTe-CdS system components

Catalytic and photocatalytic studies of binary and multicomponent semiconductors in the InP-CdS and ZnTe-CdS systems were performed for the examples of the oxidation of carbon(II) oxide and water and ethanol decomposition, respectively. The conditions of the most effective catalytic transformation of carbon monoxide were estimated from the results of a study of the adsorption of its participants over a wide temperature range, and the activity of catalysts was estimated from the ratio between the rate constants for the catalytic and noncatalytic reactions. Conclusions about the occurrence of photocatalytic decomposition were drawn from changes in pH of suspensions and the results of chromatographic analyses for hydrogen. Among the components of the InP-CdS and ZnTe-CdS systems, cadmium sulfide has the lowest catalytic activity (in the oxidation of CO) and the highest photocatalytic activity (in the photodecomposition of C(2)H(5)OH). Recommendations on the use of cadmium sulfide as an effective catalyst for the production of nontraditional fuel, hydrogen, are given.