Visible light photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol using C/ZnO/CdS nanocomposite

C/ZnO/CdS nanocomposite was synthesized using the microemulsion method. Nanocomposite synthesized in the present work was characterized using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) transmission electron microscope (TEM), diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. TEM study shows that CdS nanoparticles are successfully anchored on the surface of C doped ZnO nanorods. UV–visible spectrum of C/ZnO/CdS nanocomposite shows a red shift. CdS nanoparticles work as photo sensitizers to expand the photo-response of C doped ZnO to the visible region. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy reveals evidence for interaction between C/ZnO and CdS. PL quenching observed for C/ZnO/CdS nanocomposite is attributed to improved charge separation properties, which increases its photocatalytic efficiency. C/ZnO/CdS nanocomposite exhibits exceptionally high photocatalytic activity for degradation of 4-chlorophenol (CP) via Z-scheme mechanism. C/ZnO/CdS nanocomposite is a highly stable and reusable photocatalyst.