Facile ion-exchange synthesis of mesoporous Bi2S3/ZnS nanoplate with high adsorption capability and photocatalytic activity

Novel Bi2S3/ZnS nanoplates have been successfully prepared by simple reflux and cation exchange reaction between the preformed ZnS spheres and Bi(NO3)(3)center dot 5H(2)O. The synthesized Bi2S3/ZnS nanoplates are mesoporous structures, possess a high specific surface area of 101.30 m(2)/g and exhibit high adsorption capability and photocatalytic activity for methylene blue (MB) degradation under UV light irradiation. The high adsorption capability and photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to the fact that the formation of Bi2S3/ZnS nanoplates with large specific surface area provides more reactive sites and facilitates the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The possible formation mechanism of Bi2S3/ZnS nanoplates is proposed based on the time-dependent observation. Moreover, a tentative mechanism for degradation of MB over Bi2S3/ZnS has been proposed involving.OH radical and photoinduced holes as the active species, which is confirmed by using methanol or ammonium oxalate as scavengers. This work provides a cost-effective method for large-scale synthesis of composite with controlled architectural morphology and highly promising applications in photocatalysis. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.