One-step synthesis of N, S Co-doped ZnO-CuO nano-crumples via ultrasonic spray pyrolysis for efficient solar-driven photocatalytic dye degradation

Abstract

A one-step ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique was used to fabricate a nano-crumpled nitrogen and sulfur co-doped ZnO-CuO. Zinc acetate, copper acetate, and thiourea with various molar ratios were dissolved in deionized water and utilized as the starting precursor solution. The deposited nanocomposites were characterized by using FESEM, XRD, EDX, UV-vis spectroscopy, PL, and EIS. The photocatalytic performance of the synthesized nanocomposites was evaluated through the photodegradation of methylene blue. Nearly total (98.4 %) of the model organic pollutants were degraded within 120 min. The kinetics of the photocatalytic reaction are investigated with different scavengers to propose a reaction mechanism. The electrochemical impedance and photoluminescence spectroscopy proved that the co-doping of N and S could enhance the photocatalytic performance by promoting the suppression of electron-hole recombination.