Controlled synthesis of bismuth sulfide nanorods by hydrothermal method and their photocatalytic activity

• Bi2S3 nanorods with orthorhombic structure were successfully synthesized.
• Bi2S3 is nanorods with average 30–50 nm in diameter and 0.5-1 μm length.
• The conditions for synthesis Bi2S3 were Bi/S molar ratio 1/2 for 20 h at 180 °C.
• Bi2S3 nanorods exhibit photoactivity ~ 98% at pH ~ 7 for 60 min illumination time.
• k values for Bi2S3 nanorods was higher 40 and 5.5 time than other prepared samples.

Bi2S3 nanorods with orthorhombic structure were successfully synthesized through hydrothermal method. Systematic experiments were accomplished to study the variable factors such as the Bi/S molar ratio, reaction time and reaction temperature, which have great impact on the structural morphologies of Bi2S3 and the photocatalytic performance. TEM and FE-SEM images reveal that the prepared Bi2S3 is flower-like built up from many nanorods with average 30–50 nm in diameter and 0.5–1 μm length. The optimal conditions for the preparation of Bi2S3 nanorods were Bi/S molar ratio 1/2 for 20 h at 180 °C to obtain the highest photocatalytic activity of ~ 98% towards methylene blue (MB) degradation. It is also found that the determined k values for Bi2S3 nanorods prepared at Bi/S molar ratio 1/2 was higher 40 and 5.5 times than that the samples prepared at either low or high Bi/S molar ratios 1/0.5 and 1/5, respectively.

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