Fabrication of Highly Efficient and Hierarchical CdS QDs/CQDs/H-TiO2 Ternary Heterojunction: Surpassable Photocatalysis under Sun-like Illumination

Highly efficient and durable visible-light-utilized nanocomposites have a vital role in environmental pollutants remediation. Hence, in this study, we have fabricated CdS QDs cosensitized CQDs/H-TiO2 (hollow titania) ternary heterostructures (CdS QDs/CQDs/H-TiO2) in a facile region-selective deposition route. The as-fabricated nanocomposites were evidently characterized by physicochemical techniques. CdS QDs were uniformly distributed on the smooth surface of hierarchical CQDs/H-TiO2 heterojunction. The as-prepared CdS QDs/CQDs/H-TiO2 nanocomposite has high-performances for efficient degradation efficacy of phenol, MB, and RhB, which exhibited enhanced degradation activities with rate constants (k) of 0.03, 0.051, and 0.045 min–1, respectively. All these superior photocatalytic activities obviously attributed to the effect of calcination temperature, enhanced photocurrent, minimized recombination of photoinduced charges in the photocatalysis and optimum content of CdS QDs have the distinct basis for the close interfacial connection developing. In addition, evidenced on the arguable results of electron spin resonance (ESR) and radical-trapping experiments, the primary reactive-oxygen species and a plausible reaction-mechanism for organic pollutants degradation over CdS QDs/CQDs/H-TiO2 were proposed. This creative work is strategically considered an important step to potentially enhance the utilization of TiO2 in various fields as visible-light-induced heterojunction.