Nanostructured stainless steel wire mesh-supported CdxZn1 − xO: A stable photocatalyst under visible and ultraviolet irradiation

• CdxZn1 − xO solid solution supported on stainless steel wire mesh for photodegradation of organic pollutants.
• Enhanced stability under UV light compared to original ZnO–SSWM photocatalyst.
• ZnO–SSWM and CdxZn1 − xO–SSWM active and stable under visible light.
• CdxZn1 − xO–SSWM improves catalytic activity under visible light.

In this work, high surface area stainless steel wire mesh-supported CdxZn1 − xO catalysts (x = 0.01–0.20) were successfully synthesized and tested for the photodegradation of methylene blue under UV and visible light. The solid solution, prepared at low temperature by means of sacrificial template accelerated hydrolysis, shows a cadmium concentration profile in which the external surface contains more cadmium than the bulk and a maximum average cadmium content of 20 mol%. The presence of the cadmium in the catalyst protects the photocatalyst against photocorrosion. Under visible irradiation both undoped and doped catalysts show significant degrees of catalytic activity and stability.

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