Efficient sonocatalytic degradation of heavy metal and organic pollutants using CuS/MoS2 nanocomposites

Eco-friendly and highly effective catalysts are receiving considerable attention for the removal of heavy-metal ions and organic pollutants. In this study, we developed CuS/MoS2 nanocomposite sonocatalysts to enhance the degradation rate of environmental contaminants by harnessing ultrasonic irradiation. The successful synthesis of nanocomposite sonocatalysts was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The incorporation of CuS into MoS2 resulted in a flower-like structure with an increased surface area. Importantly, the sonocatalytic efficiency was enhanced by increasing CuS concentration in the nanocomposites, achieving maximum removal efficiencies of 99% and 88.52% for rhodamine B (RhB) and Cr(VI), respectively. In addition, they showed excellent stability and recyclability over five consecutive cycles, without noticeable changes in the nanocomposite structure. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) used for the degradation were identified using ROS scavengers. We believe that this strategy of exploiting nanocomposite sonocatalysts has a great potential in the field of environmental catalysis.