Visible light assisted photocatalytic hydrogen generation and organic dye degradation by CdS-metal oxide hybrids in presence of graphene oxide

Single step hydrothermal synthesis of CdS/Oxide (Oxide = ZnO, Al2O3) was demonstrated and examines their photocatalytic activity in presence of graphene oxide (GO). CdS/Al2O3/GO and CdS/ZnO/GO both exhibits enhanced photocatalytic activity for hydrogen generation with apparent quantum yields (AQY) of 14% and 30% respectively. Moreover, CdS/Oxide/GO displayed efficient photodegradation of an organic dye; similar to 90% for CdS/Al2O3/GO and similar to 99% for CdS/ZnO/GO within 60 min of time interval. Superior photocatalytic properties are attributed to the enhanced surface area and effective separation of photoinduced charge carriers due to the presence of GO. The present study highlights the potential application of graphene based materials in the field of energy conversion and environment remediation.