Cd1−xZnxS supported on SBA-16 as photocatalysts for water splitting under visible light: Influence of Zn concentration

Structural, Optical and Photocatalytic Characterization of ZnxCd1−xS Solid Solutions Synthetized Using a Simple Ultrasonic Radiation Method

“…It is generally recognized that this solid solution turns out to have better properties under visible light irradiation than its pure components [4,8,27,28]. Reported studies, in which Zn x Cd 1−x S solid solutions have been used [1][2][3][4], confirmed the versatility and advantages of their use as photocatalysts and emphasize the strong dependence of the photocatalytic properties on the surrounding environment. In general, the electronic properties of the nanostructures are different from bulk matter depending on their size and dimensionality.…”

“…The longitudinal modes obtained with the Raman technique ( Figure 8) show that incorporation of Zn in the CdS lattice is substitutional, forming Cd-S-Zn-type bonding in the sulfide structure, with the exciton-phonon coupling strength being highest for the Zn 0.2 Cd 0.8 S sample. The TEM micrographs of the Zn x Cd 1−x S samples (Figures 3 and 4) prepared by the sonochemical-assisted method show that the synthesized materials have more defects in the crystalline network when compared to the precipitation method [2,4,56,57] where the number of defects is quite considerable.…”

“…The new age of energy presents itself as a collection of alternative technologies to establish a world network of energy production by means of renewable sources [1]. Among these technologies, solar panels, wind turbines and biomass-based fuels are now technologies in use [2][3][4]. Nevertheless, in this nascent energy revolution, molecular hydrogen will play a main role in the transformation, transport and use of the renewable sources.…”

“…In general, the electronic properties of the nanostructures are different from bulk matter depending on their size and dimensionality. The 0, 1 and 2D nanostructures confine the electrons which dramatically impacts the density of states (DOS) distribution, generating specific electronic properties unique in semiconductor materials, such as photon absorption and emission with application in optical devices [10], variation in the concentration of electrons and holes [4,29,30] and variation of the band gap [31][32][33], among others, where CdS or Zn x Cd 1−x S solid solutions are an example [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40].…”

Water Splitting By Photocatalytic Reduction

“…At this end, research efforts should be directed at constructing 2D nanosheets and nanoporous structures of metal sulfide solid solutions [158,[162][163][164]. In addition, the surface areas of metal sulfide solid solutions can be enhanced by loading them into the porous materials such as microporous and mesoporous silicas [165][166][167]. …”