Development of Cu intercalated SnSe-ZnO composites for efficient degradation of Rhodamine B dye

In this study, we have used a nano-engineering strategy to overcome the limitations of SnSe and ZnO based photocatalyst like rapid electron/hole pair recombination's and absorption in the UV region. For this purpose, we have synthesized Cu-intercalated SnSe and then prepared its composites with ZnO for the efficient degradation of rhodamine B dye. For Cu intercalation, a two-step solvothermal approach was used, while ZnO microstructures were prepared through a simple sol-gel based hydrothermal method. All prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-Visible spectroscopy to analyze the morphological, compositional, structural, and optical features of the prepared catalysts. XRD spectra indicated the formation of orthorhombic crystalline structure of SnSe with an increase in interlayer spacing of 1.5 angstrom after Cu intercalation. Cu intercalation also resulted in an increase in the bandgap of SnSe to 2.47 eV, which can effectively reduce the electron-hole pair recombination rate when employed as a photocatalyst. Compared to pure SnSe, Cu intercalated SnSe and its composites with ZnO delivered significantly better photocatalytic performance towards rhodamine B because of efficient charge separation & suitable bandgap modulation. The enhanced photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B by the prepared composite suggests that the catalyst can be developed further for the removal of toxic organic dyes from industrial effluents.