Photocatalytic activity of CdTe quantum Dots encapsulated in zeolite Y

•CdTe/Y nanocomposites were synthesized via a novel approach in an aqueous medium.•The CdTe Quantum Dots Encapsulated in Zeolite Y were more regular and stable.•CdTe/Y nanocomposites exhibit a high catalytic performance by the photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue.

A series of CdTe/Y nanocomposites was prepared by introducing Cd2+ into zeolite Y and then adding TeO2 and NaBH4. X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that the framework structure of zeolite Y was not destroyed and that CdTe quantum dots were successfully introduced into zeolite Y. Ultraviolet–visible diffused reflectance spectroscopy demonstrated that the absorption spectra of CdTe/Y evidently red shifted compared with zeolite Y. The effect of the initial Cd2+ concentration was systematically investigated. The photocatalytic activities of CdTe/Y were also measured by the photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue. Results indicated that CdTe/Y had high catalytic performance and that photocatalytic activity increased with increased Cd2+ concentration.