Structural, optical, and improved photocatalytic properties of CdS/SnO2 hybrid photocatalyst nanostructure

•CdS, SnO2, and a CdS/SnO2 hybrid photocatalyst were synthesized using a two-step technique.•The dislocation density, strain values are higher for CdS/SnO2 hybrid photocatalyst.•The CdS/SnO2 has a higher surface area and smaller crystallite size compared to pristine CdS.•The CdS/SnO2 catalyst greatly reduced recombination of electron and hole pairs. CdS, SnO2 and CdS/SnO2 hybrid photocatalyst nanostructure were synthesized using a two-step (co-precipitation/hydrothermal) method. The as-prepared materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), surface analysis (BET), photoluminescence spectra (PL), UV–Vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and photocatalytic activity. The band gap energies calculated from the DRS results are 3.30, 2.15, and 2.99eV for pristine SnO2, CdS, and the CdS/SnO2 hybrid photocatalyst, respectively. The CdS/SnO2 hybrid photocatalyst showed more efficient charge carrier separation and improved photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO). The highest degradation rate constant was achieved for the CdS/SnO2 hybrid photocatalyst (0.02434min−1) compared to CdS (0.01381min−1) and SnO2 (0.00878min−1). The present study provides insights for improving the photocatalytic activity and photo-stability of CdS/SnO2 hybrid photocatalyst.