Solar-driven S-scheme Zn0.5Cd0.5S/MoS2 composite for photocatalytic ketorolac tromethamine degradation and hydrogen generation coupled with benzyl alcohol oxidation

Since a few years ago, photocatalysis technique have drawn more interest driven by their propensity to address environmental challenges and provide renewable energy sources. Herein, we synthesized a direct S-scheme Zn0.5Cd0.5S/MoS2 composite by employing facile in-situ hydrothermal method for drug degradation and H2 generation coupled with benzyl alcohol (BA) oxidation. Further, the structural, morphological, compositional, and thermal properties of as-synthesized material were all thoroughly studied. The experimental results revealed that Zn0.5Cd0.5S/10%MoS2 (ZCMS-10) composite exhibited 92.54% degradation efficiency for KTC drug within 150 min under natural solar light. Furthermore, throughout five cycles, this study showed outstanding recyclability. Additionally, as-synthesized material demonstrated remarkable H2 generation coupled with oxidation of BA into benzaldehyde (BAL). The H2 generation rate was found to be 2.3470 mmolg−1h−1 and conversion 38.52% of BA with the selectivity of 95.48% for BAL. The enhanced photocatalytic performance might be attributed to the effective charge transfer between Zn0.5Cd0.5S and MoS2, facilitated by the direct S-scheme mechanism. Based on the findings of radical trapping experiments, the charge transfer process over the photocatalyst was completely studied. This study provides insights into the development of effective photocatalysts for environmental remediation and generation of renewable energy.