Photothermal enhanced photocatalytic activity based on Ag-doped CuS nanocomposites

The fabrication of synergetic photocatalytic-photothermal system is desirable to deal with pollution problems. Ag-doped CuS (Cu1−xAgxS) nanocomposites were prepared via one-step hydrothermal method. The Cu1−xAgxS nanocomposites exhibit photocatalytic behavior and photothermal effect on photoexcitations. The degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation demonstrated the photocatalytic ability of Cu1−xAgxS nanocomposites. The photocatalytic efficiency can be changed by adjusting the amount of silver in the CuS nanocrystals. Meanwhile, Ag+ can also modulate the photothermal effect. The photothermal effect of Cu1−xAgxS nanocomposites may further enhance their photocatalytic efficiency. Among them, Cu0.75Ag0.5S nanocomposites showed particularly excellent photocatalytic activity with photocatalytic rate constant of 0.084. This provides a new opportunity for solving organic pollutants.