Carbon quantum dots implanted CdS nanosheets: Efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) under saline conditions

[Display omitted] •Fabrication of carbon quantum dots (CQDs)-implanted CdS nanosheets (CdS-NSs).•Implantation has superior photocatalytic activity over deposited nanostructures.•High efficiencies of Cr(VI) reduction in saline water under visible light irradiation.•Implanted nanostructures suppress charge recombination and photocorrosion. Chromium(VI) (Cr(VI)), a toxic metal, is generally present together with ionic salts in industrial effluents. An efficient reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in saline water is an imperative issue but still a challenging task. Literature has rarely addressed reducing Cr(VI) effectively under saline conditions. Herein, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were successfully implanted in the CdS nanosheets (CdS-NSs) to prepare nanocomposites (i.e., CCNs) for the first time to efficiently reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The newly fabricated CCNs demonstrated superior performance to reduce Cr(VI) compared to pristine CdS-NSs and CQDs-deposited CdS nanosheets (i.e., CQD/CdS-NSs) in saline water. The nanostructures were examined by spectral and photoelectrochemical measurements as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Results showed that CCNs facilitated the photo-electron transport and thus suppressed charge recombination via formation of micro-regional heterostructures. A lower band gap of CCNs relative to pristine CdS-NSs and CQD/CdS-NSs extended the light absorption spectrum. The optimal photocatalyst, denoted as CCNs-2, exhibited an efficiency of ∼94% for photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction within 10 min in water containing 1200 mg/L salts. The obtained rate constant of reduction of Cr(VI) was (2.62 ± 0.04) × 10−1 min−1, approximately 4 and 3 times higher than that of pristine CdS-NSs and CQD/CdS-NSs, respectively. After 3 cycles, the CCNs-2 still showed an efficiency of ∼78% aqueous Cr(VI) reduction within 10 min. Our results clearly presented that implantation relative to deposition of CQDs for CdS-NSs is a preferential strategy to enhance photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction in saline water under visible light irradiation.