Controlled Synthesis of Visible Light Active Cu(x)S Photocatalyst: The Effect of Heat Treatment on Their Adsorption Capacity and Photoactivity

The effects of different precursor salts, stabilizing agents, and heat treatment parameters are already known to have an influence on the synthesis of nano-sized semiconductors in heterogenous photocatalysis. In the present work, CuxS materials were prepared by using different precursors (copper (II) chloride dihydrate or copper (II) acetate monohydrate) and shape tailoring/stabilizing agents, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid/polyvinylpyrrolidone, and thiourea as the sulfur source. The polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) kinetically controlled the growth rate of the nanoplates, while ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) adjusted the nucleation process through the complexation of copper. A one-step hydrothermal method was used for the synthesis, and the materials were characterized by means of morphological and structural complementary investigation methods. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity and photocatalytic activity were also measured for these materials. It was found that the vacancy sites formed by changing the precursor salt, as confirmed by Raman measurements, affect the photocatalytic activity. The rise of the specific surface area was achieved by heat treatment, and concomitantly, the adsorption capacity of the treated samples was found to increase likewise.