Magnetically separable, CoFe2O4 decorated CdS nanorods for enhanced visible light driven photocatalytic activity

CdS nanorods decorated with CoFe2O4 (CFO) nanoparticles have been synthesized by using a facile soft chemical method. The surface of the nanorods was carefully functionalized with citrate ions to attach the CFO nanoparticles. The CFO nanoparticles decorated CdS nanorods were found to exhibit enhanced visible light driven photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue dye as compared to CdS and CFO nanostructures. The enhancement in the photocatalytic activity is attributed to the formation of heterojunction between the CdS and CFO which significantly suppresses the recombination of the photogenerated charge carriers. Also, due to the magnetic behavior of CFO this coupled nanostructure can be easily separable from the aqueous solution by applying an external magnetic field.