Efficient visible light performance of MoS2QDs/TiO2 hollow sphere photocatalysts for the degradation of dyes and antibiotics

In this paper, molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (MoS2QDs) and TiO2 nanoparticles were used as visible light-responsive photocatalysts. The intensity of the bandgap photoluminescence of quantum dots was reduced after combining MoS2QDs with TiO2. This indicates that the photoexcited electrons in MoS2QDs are easily transferred to TiO2. The combination of MoS2QDs and TiO2 inhibits the recombination of charges and the complexation of photogenerated carriers, thus improving the degradation efficiency of dyes and antibiotics in the photocatalytic process. The cycling results showed that the MoS2QDs/TiO2 composites had good cycling stability. After five cycles of experiments, the composites still maintained similar degradation activity. Finally, a possible mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction of MoS2QDs/TiO2 is proposed. The charge generation and electron-hole separation capability of MoS2QDs/TiO2 in a wide spectral range can effectively separate photogenerated electron-hole pairs and maintain its high redox capability. It provides a broad prospect for composite materials to improve photocatalytic activity in different fields and offers many new possibilities for solar energy collection systems.