Reduced graphene oxide wrapped CdS composites with enhanced photocatalytic performance and high stability

Novel CdS–rGO nanocomposites were fabricated by wrapping CdS particles with reduced graphene oxide sheets through a facile mixing process with ethylene glycol as solvent. The photocatalytic behavior of the CdS–rGO nanocomposites was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of Congo red under simulated sunlight irradiation. Compared with the bare CdS, the photocatalytic activity and stability of the composites were much enhanced, resulting from the involving of the rGO sheets as chainmail, which facilitates the charge separation, suppresses the recombination of electron–hole pairs, and improves light conversion efficiency of catalysts. The radical trapping test results suggest that the ∙O2− and/or ∙OH radicals are the dominant active oxygen species in the CdS–rGO photocatalytic process. And a possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed.