Ultrasonic-assisted preparation and characterization of CdS nanoparticles in the presence of a halide-free and low-cost ionic liquid and photocatalytic activity

An ultrasonic-assisted and environmentally favorable method is proposed for preparation of CdS nanoparticles in the presence of a halide-free and low-cost room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate, ([EMIM][EtSO4]). The prepared samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR). Diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) of the products reveal a blue shift of 1.45 eV relative to bulk CdS, which can be attributed to the quantum confinement effect of the prepared nanoparticles. Investigation of photocatalytic activity for the CdS nanoparticles towards photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) demonstrates that photodegradation of MB increases with RTIL content of the media using visible and UV irradiations.