VISIBLE LIGHT DRIVEN PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY PERFORMANCE OF FE DOPED CDS NANOPARTICLES BY WET CHEMICAL ROUTE

Nanocrystalline Fe doped CdS nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by wet chemical method. The concentration of Fe is varied from 5 to 15 mol.%. The role of Fe dopant on structural, morphological and optical properties of the ZnO nanoparticles has been analyzed through X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-Vis absorption spectra and photoluminescence spectra analysis. Powder XRD results suggest that Fe doped CdS samples showed cubic structure and the results are good in agreement with the standard JCPDS value (card no. 80-0019). Nanocrystalline spherical shaped morphology with average diameter of around 25-15 nm was observed through TEM images. A considerable red shift in the absorption edge and surface related defects were observed by UV and PL analysis. The photocatalytic activities of Fe doped CdS were evaluated by irradiating the solution of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RHB) under visible light. The results suggest that Fe doped CdS (15 %) showed highest photocatalytic efficiency compared other samples. The improved photocatalytic mechanism by Fe doped was also discussed in detail.