Abstract:
This study investigates the photocatalytic activity of CuS/ZnS in the degradation of Rhodamine B, an azo dye
in textile wastewater generated through processing operations in textile industries which provides significant
socioeconomic benefits. Nanoporous nanocomposites were synthesised via a one-pot thermal decomposition
method which exhibited efficient photocatalytic activity. The microstructure and composition of the prepared
catalyst was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy
(TEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The degradation results
showed that coupling pristine ZnS with the highly photosensitive CuS improved the photocatalytic degradation
efficiency from 67 % to 88 % in 4 h under solar irradiation. This result clearly depicts the degradation efficacy
improvement of ZnS when doped with CuS in rhodamine B degradation using visible light irradiation.
