Exploring the role of defects on diverse properties of Cr-substituted ZnS nanostructures for photocatalytic applications

Pristine ZnS nanospheres and 4% Cr-substituted ZnS nanocubes were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method. The effect of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) cationic surfactant on morphology of as-synthesized samples was scrutinized. Diverse physical properties of as-synthesized materials for photocatalytic activity were investigated by XRD, FT-IR, UV–Vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, SEM, EDS, TG–DTA and I–V characteristics. It was explicitly observed that Cr-substituted ZnS nanocubes have higher efficiency than pristine ZnS nanospheres. Cr-substituted ZnS nanocubes are more photosensitive than pristine ZnS nanospheres owing to its lower energy band gap, smaller particle size, lattice strain and single crystalline phase. A variation in photocatalytic activity attributes to physical properties which endorses the degradation of MB, MO and MO–MB miscellaneous azo dye solution effectively. It was explicitly fortified that 4% Cr-doped ZnS nanocubes are better photocatalyst than pristine ZnS nanospheres for photocatalytic dye degradation application.