Photodegradation of Organic Dyes using Nanoparticles of Cadmium Sulfide Doped with Manganese, Nickel and Copper as Nanophotocatalyst

Hamid Reza Pouretedal,^a,* Hamed Eskandari,^b Mohammad Hossein Keshavarz^a and Abolfazel Semnani^c

^a Faculty of science, Malek-ashtsrUuniversity of Technology, Shahin-shahr, Iran
^b Department of chemistry, Azad University, Shahreza Branch, Iran
^c Faculty of science, Shahrekord University, Sharekord, Iran
* Corresponding author: E-mail: HR_POURETEDAL@mut-es.ac.ir

Abstract
Photoreactivity of cadmium sulfide nanoparticles as undoped and doped with manganese, nickel and copper were studied in the decolorization of methylene blue and safranin under UV and Vis irradiations. The dopant, mole fraction of dopant to cadmium ion, pH of solution, dosage of photocatalyst and concentration of dye are variables that influence on the photoreactivity of nanocatalysts. In among of photocatalysts, the prepared nanoparticles CdS, Cd_0.98Mn_0.02S, Cd_0.96Ni_0.04S and Cd_0.90Cu_0.10S show the most degradation efficiency in order: Cd_0.90Cu_0.10S > Cd_0.96Ni_0.04S > Cd_0.98Mn_0.02S @ CdS. The optimum dosage of photocatalyst was obtained 120.0 mg/L. The effect of pH was studied in pH amplitude of 2–12 and the most degradation efficiency was obtained in alkaline pH of 11.0. Degradation efficiency was decreased with increasing the concentration of dye more than 5.0 mg/L. In the optimized conditions, the degradation efficiency was obtained 91–98 and 86–95 for methylene blue and safranin, respectively, in irradiation time of 120 min.

Keywords: Nanoparticles, cadmium sulfide, decolorization, photodegradation, methylene blue, safranin