Synthesis, Characterization and Catalytic Activity of CdS-Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites

In the present work, cubic and hexagonal phases of CdS are synthesized and deposited on graphene oxide (GO) layers. These nanocomposites are characterized by UV-Visible, photoluminescence, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) images for the existence of CdS as well as GO sheets. The catalytic activity of c-CdS/GO (cubic CdS) and h-CdS/GO (hex-agonal CdS) nanocomposites are compared in the synthesis of 2-phenylbenzimidazole from benzaldehyde and o-pheneylenediamine under mild reaction conditions. It is interesting to note that the present experimental conditions allow detecting only the formation of 2-phenylbenzimidazole as the final product. The catalyst stability is also investigated by powder XRD, SEM and TEM images and observing some aggregation of CdS nanoparticles.