Facile one-pot preparation of cadmium sulfide quantum dots with good photocatalytic activities under stabilization of polar amino acids

In the present study, through a facile one-pot strategy, the stable cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots were prepared successfully using two different polar amino acids including aspartate and glutamate as additives. The as-prepared CdS quantum dots exhibited unique absorption and photoluminescence properties in visible light region. From the results, the CdS quantum dots could photocatalytically degrade the rhodamine B efficiently through the mediation of photo-generated hydroxyl radicals under visible light irradiation. Furthermore, it should be noted that the CdS quantum dots exhibited comparatively good recycling stability during the photocatalytic reaction. These results suggest that the as-prepared CdS quantum dots might be used as the potential photocatalysts to treat the organic pollutants efficiently under visible light irradiation.

► Successful synthesis of stable CdS quantum dots using polar amino acids as additives.
► Effective photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes under visible light irradiation.
► Recycling and long-term photocatalytic application of quantum dots.