Microwave fabrication of Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) nanoparticle and its visible light photocatalytic properties

Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) nanoparticle with an average diameter of approximately 31 nm has been successfully synthesized by a time effective microwave fabrication method. The crystal structure, surface morphology, and microstructure of the Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) nanoparticle were characterized. Moreover, the visible light photocatalytic ability of the Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) nanoparticle toward degradation of methylene blue (MB) was also studied. About 30% of MB was degraded after 240 min irradiation when employing Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) nanoparticle as a photocatalyst. However, almost all MB was decomposed after 90 min irradiation when introducing a small amount of H(2)O(2) as a co-photocatalyst. The enhancement of the photocatalytic performance was attributed to the synergetic effect between the Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) nanoparticle and H(2)O(2). The detailed photocatalytic degradation mechanism of MB by the Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) was further proposed.