CdS nanoparticles decorated anatase TiO2 nanofibers with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity for dye degradation

A highly dispersed and versatile anatase CdS nanocrystal on TiO2 nanofiber was synthesized by a simple method. The structural and optical properties of the as-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. The results show that the CdS nanocrystals with approximately 20–30 nm size are well distributed on the TiO2 nanofibers, and the introduction of CdS increases the light absorption intensity in visible light region. Noticeably, the CdS/TiO2 nanocomposites exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity and reusability, and can be applied to the degradation of various organic dyes, such as methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine-B (RhB). This unique CdS/TiO2 nanocomposites photocatalyst proved to have great potentials for organic contaminants degradation in wastewater.