Synthesis and characterization of CdS/BiPO4 heterojunction photocatalyst

• A CdS/BiPO4 heterojunction was prepared by the solvothermal method.
• The CdS/BiPO4 composite has the higher photocatalytic activity than the individual ones.
• The optimal mass ratio of CdS to BiPO4 was 0.5.
• The heterojunction structure of CdS/BiPO4 induces an effective electron–hole separation.

A series of CdS/BiPO4 heterojunction photocatalysts with the visible-light response were synthesized by the solvothermal method. The resulting products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV–vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy. CdS nanoparticles with the size at range of 5–7 nm were immobilized on the surface of BiPO4 nanorods. The CdS/BiPO4 composite exhibited much higher photodegradation rate of methylene blue under visible light irradation compared to the pure CdS and BiPO4. The optimal mass ratio of CdS to BiPO4 was 0.5, the photodegradation rate of which is 2.1 times higher than that of CdS. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity is attributed to the heterojunction structure of CdS/BiPO4 composite which induced the effective electron–hole separation between CdS and BiPO4.

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