Urchin-like CuS nanostructures: simple synthesis and structural optimization with enhanced photocatalytic activity under direct sunlight

Wastewater remediation by nanostructured photocatalysts represents a critical issue for nanotechnology. In this work, we employed a facile, low-cost, and one-pot co-precipitation strategy to synthesize a pure hexagonal phase of copper sulfide (CuS) nanostructures at a relatively lower temperature. The produced CuS investigated using different instrumentation. The results confirmed that CuS crystallized in urchin-like nanostructures with a single hexagonal phase exhibiting a band gap of 2.22 eV. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared CuS examined for the photodegradation of malachite green dye (MG) employing direct sunlight illumination. The outcomes showed that the produced CuS featured photodegradation efficiency of 95.5% and 67.2% mineralization within 90 min. Moreover, the kinetic studies of MG photodegradation and the applicability of CuS photocatalyst displayed a pseudo-first-order reaction with high stability at a decent efficiency. This work opens the door for using only prepared single-phase metal chalcogenides in water remediation under direct sunlight.