ZnS–ZnO nanocomposites: synthesis, characterization and enhanced photocatatlytic performance

ZnS–ZnO nanocomposites (NCs) were successfully synthesized via thermal treatment of as-synthesized ZnS nanostructured spheres (NSs). By applying multiple characterization technology, such as XRD, FESEM, EDS and UV–Vis, the obtained samples were fully characterized. After modification, the light-absorption performance of ZnS NSs to visible light was significantly enhanced. The band gap of ZnS–ZnO NCs was estimated to be 2.7 eV. The photocatalytic test indicated that ZnS–ZnO NCs exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity in contrast to the pristine ZnS due to the effective charge separation. A photocatalytic mechanism was proposed to illustrate the photocatalytic reduction process. The formation mechanism of ZnS NSs and ZnS–ZnO NCs was also proposed in detail.