Facile synthesis of Er:CuS flowers and their application in the photo-catalytic activity

An easy one-pot synthesis rout has been employed to prepare 3D dimensional Er doped CuS hierarchical flower-like structures (HNs), is composed or assembled of nanoplates. Introduction of trivalent Er3+ into CuS crystals and consequence replacement with monovalent Cu1+ generates free holes in valence band which caused an increase intensity plasmonic resonance in the infrared region, which has been studied by Uv-vis-NIR spectroscopy. In addition, Er3+ doped CuS can remarkably changes the defect of CuS HNs which has been studied by photoluminescence. The Er doped CuS nanocrystals exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with pure CuS for the degradation of methylene blue due to higher electron transport and production of HO
- that is due to the effect of doping.