Abstract
A heterostructure photocatalyst consisting of one-dimensional (1D) CdS nanorods (NRs) and cerium dioxide (CeO2) nanoparticles (NPs) was successfully synthesized via a solvothermal method. Different characterization techniques confirmed that CeO2 NPs were intimately attached on CdS NRs. The visible-light- driven photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the discoloration of rhodamine B (RhB). It was indicated that, under visible light illumination, the photocatalytic rate constant of CdS/CeO2 was nearly 3.4 times and 28 times higher than that of pure CdS and pure CeO2, respectively, owing to the high oxygen storage capacity of the CdS/CeO2 heterostructure, and the inhibition of electron-hole pair recombination benefitting from efficient electron transfer from CdS NRs to CeO2 NPs. In addition, the degradation mechanism of RhB on CdS/CeO2 was also discussed. This durable nanocomposite catalyst, with its excellent combination of CdS NRs and CeO2 NPs, is able to be a promising catalyst for RhB degradation under visible-light irradiation.