Excellent visible-light photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of tetracycline antibiotic and electrochemical sensing of hydrazine by SnO2-CdS nanostructures

The present study investigated a tin oxide/cadmium sulfide (SnO2-CdS) nanostructure for enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency of CdS nanoparticles. Herein, the desired nanostructure was fabricated through a straightforward and cost-effective approach. The physicochemical properties of the fabricated nanostructure were analyzed by various characterization techniques. The SnO2-CdS shows an excellent band-gap of 2.14 eV, a high surface area of 29 m(2)/g, and favorable photoluminescence properties. The examination of the degradation capabilities of SnO2-CdS nanostructures (SOCdS) with visible light was conducted using tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), methylene blue (MB), and Congo red (CR) as models of antibiotic and dye pollutants. The photocatalyst possessed a TC removal efficiency of 94.5 +/- 0.02% in 60 minutes under visible-light irradiation with over 60 +/- 0.06% adsorption of TC under equilibrium conditions. Further, the photocatalysts exhibited excellent performance for MB and CR degradation with degradation effectiveness of 99.08 +/- 0.01% in 120 min and 83 +/- 0.06% in 40 min, respectively. In addition, the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with SOCdS (SOCdS/ GCE) and was employed for the efficient and precise detection of hydrazine at room temperature. The SOCdS/ GCE showed first-rate response for the recognition of hydrazine: CV: LOD of 0.18 mu M, 8 mu M-50 mu M linear range, and 25.7 mu A mu M-1 cm-2 of sensitivity; and LSV: LOD of 0.19 mu M, 5 mu M-50 mu M linear range, and 23.6 mu A mu M-1 cm(-2) of sensitivity. Results suggest that the SnO2-CdS nanostructure showed excellent photocatalytic activity than bare-CdS NPs and has the ability to detect the analyte viz. hydrazine. The role of CdS nanoparticles is interesting to enhance the photocatalytic and electrochemical properties. We report a straightforward and cost-effective fabrication approach for SnO2-CdS nanostructure and provide a robust platform for the utilization of chalcogenides-based systems for environmental remediation and detection of hazardous chemicals.

Automated summary

This study investigates the fabrication and characterization of a tin oxide/cadmium sulfide (SnO2-CdS) nanostructure for enhancing photocatalytic efficiency and electrochemical detection of hydrazine. The SnO2-CdS nanostructure exhibits excellent physicochemical properties and shows superior performance compared to bare-CdS nanoparticles. It has a high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of antibiotic and dye pollutants, as well as a robust platform for the detection of hydrazine.