Photocatalytic activity of CuInS₂ nanoparticles synthesized via a simple and rapid microwave heating process

In this research, visible–light photocatalytic activities of CuInS₂ nanoparticles for degradation of three organic dyes (rhodamine B; RhB, methylene blue; MB, and methyl orange; MO) were investigated. The CuInS₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple and rapid microwave heating process using sodium sulfide as a sulfur source and then characterized by x–ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS) techniques. The synthesized CuInS₂ nanoparticles exhibited excellent photocatalytic degradation activity to the cationic dyes (RhB and MB) when compared with that of anionic dye (MO). Zeta potential of the CuInS₂ photocatalyst was measured to elucidate the adsorption ability toward dye molecules. A possible photocatalytic degradation mechanism was proposed based on active species quenching experiments and Mott–Schottky analysis. (paper)