Synthesis and Photocatalytic Activity of Zinc Sulfide and Zinc Sulfide@Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Composites

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) particles and zinc sulfide@multiwalled carbon nanotubes (ZnS@MWCNT) composites were synthesized and characterized using energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Raman spectroscopy. Photocatalytic degradation activity of methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet (UV) at 254 nm light irradiation was assessed by UV-visible spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of MB within 300 min reached 78.85% for ZnS particles and 82.85% for the ZnS@MWCNT composites. Therefore, in comparison to the ZnS nanoparticles, the hybrid ZnS@MWCNT composites exhibited higher photocatalytic degradation activity. The kinetics study for photocatalytic degradation of MB using both ZnS particles and hybrid ZnS@MWCNT nanocomposites followed the pseudo-first-order reaction rate law.