Novel organo modified MoCdS3 heterojunctions for enhancement of photocatalytic activity: The synergistic effects of surface modification and fast photogenerated carrier transfer

Abstract Semiconductor heterojunctions with fast photogenerated carrier transfer have great potential for environmental remediation. However, most of the semiconductor heterojunctions reported so far are surface lipophobic and have low affinity for most lipophilic organic pollutants. Herein, we developed a facile hydrothermal method coupled with a self-assembly strategy to synthesize a novel MoCdS3 photocatalyst modified by hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (HDTMA) surfactant (HDTMA-MoCdS3). Detailed characterizations, including SEM-EDS, HRTEM, XRD, FTIR, XPS, Raman spectroscopy and optical contact angle, were carried out to confirm the structure and surface properties of the crystalline heterojunction. Further photoelectrochemical tests proved the superior performance of HDTMA-MoCdS3 for separation of photogenerated carriers compared to bulk CdS and MoS2. Bisphenol A and methyl orange were chosen as the model pollutants to investigate the capture performance and further photocatalytic ability of HDTMA-MoCdS3. By synergistic effect of rapid adsorption of pollutants and high capacity for photogenerated carrier transfer, the HDTMA-MoCdS3 composites exhibit outstanding activity and stability for photodegradation of organic contaminants.