Facile Solvothermal Synthesis of Novel CuCo2S4/g-C3N4 Nanocomposites for Visible-Light Photocatalytic Applications

Interface engineered cascade-type electronic structure of 2D/0D/2D CdS-CdCO3/SnO2 quantum dots/g-C3N4 nanocomposite for boosting solar-driven photocatalysis

A rational design of heterojunctions with high-quality contacts is essential for efficiently separating photogenerated charge carries and boosting the solar-driven harvesting capability. Herein, we fabricated a novel heterojunction of SnO2 quantum dots-anchored CdS-CdCO3 with g-C3N4 nanosheets as a superior photocatalyst. SnO2 quantum dots (SQDs) with positively charged surfaces were tightly anchored on the negatively charged surface of CdS nanosheets (NSs). The resulting CdS@SnO2 was finally decorated with g-C3N4 NSs, and a new crystalline phase of CdS-CdCO3 was formed during the hydrothermal decoration process, g-C3N4 decorated CdS-CdCO3@SnO2 (CdS-CdCO3@SnO2@g-C3N4). The as-synthesized photocatalysts were evaluated for the degradation of methyl orange dye under solar light conditions. The CdS-CdCO3@SnO2@g-C3N4 exhibited 7.7-fold and 2.3-fold enhancements in photocatalytic activities in comparison to those of the bare CdS and CdS@SnO2 NSs, respectively. The optimal performance of CdS-CdCO3@SnO2@g-C3N4 is primarily attributed to the cascade-type conduction band alignments between 2D/0D/2D heterojunctions, which can harvest maximum solar light and effectively separate photoexcited charge carriers. This work provides a new inspiration for the rational design of 2D/0D/2D heterojunction photocatalyst for green energy generation and environmental remediation applications.

A review on potential sulfide-based ternary chalcogenides for emerging photo-assisted water purification applications

Sulfide-based ternary chalcogenides have been recognized widely as exceptional photocatalysts, thanks to their narrow band gap enabling them to harvest solar energy to the maximum extent. They provide excellent optical, electrical, and catalytic performance and are of abundant use as a heterogeneous catalyst. Among sulfide-based ternary chalcogenides, compounds exhibiting AB2X4 structure form a new class of materials with excellent stability in photocatalytic performance. In the AB2X4 family of compounds, ZnIn2S4 is one of the top performing photocatalyst for energy and environmental applications. However, to date, only limited information is available on the mechanism behind the photo-induced migration of charge carriers in ternary sulfide chalcogenides. Ternary sulfide chalcogenides with their visible region activity and substantial chemical stability greatly depend on crystal structure, morphology, and optical characteristics for their photocatalytic activity. Hence, in this review, a comprehensive assessment of the reported strategies for enhancement of the photocatalytic efficiency of this compound is presented. In addition, a meticulous investigation of the applicability of ternary sulfide chalcogenide compound ZnIn2S4, in particular, has been delivered. Also, the photocatalytic behavior of other sulfide-based ternary chalcogenides for water remediation applications has also been briefed. Finally, we conclude with an insight into the challenges and future advancements in the exploration of ZnIn2S4-based chalcogenide as a photocatalyst for various photo-responsive applications. It is believed that this review could contribute to a better understanding of ternary chalcogenide semiconductor photocatalysts for solar-driven water treatment applications.

Dual-response electrochemical electrode for sensitive monitoring of topotecan and mitomycin as anticancer drugs in real samples

This research paper employed an innovative electrochemical electrode to simultaneously determine topotecan (TPT) and mitomycin (MMC) as anticancer agents. For this purpose, a novel nanocomposite was synthesized using a hydrothermal procedure. The nanocomposites were characterized using FTIR, STEM, FESEM, mapping analysis, EDX, and XRD methods. The novelty of this work is the successful synthesis of Fe₃O₄ decorated on the surface of CuCo₂S₄ (Fe₃O₄@CuCo₂S₄) nanocomposites showed two separate anodic peaks at 0.8 V for TPT and 1.0 V for MMC with potential separation of 0.2 V. This was enough for the simultaneous electrochemical determination of topotecan and mitomycin on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), simultaneously. At optimized conditions, the developed electrode exhibited linear responses with TPT and MMC concentration in the ranges of 0.01-0.89 and 0.89-8.95 μM for topotecan and 0.1-19.53 μM for mitomycin. The detection limits were observed as 6.94 nM and 80.00 nM for topotecan and mitomycin, respectively. The fabricated Fe₃O₄@CuCo₂S₄/GCE showed high sensitivity, long-term stability, and repeatability towards the sensing of TPT and MMC simultaneously and can be utilized in real samples. The obtained results confirmed that the fabricated Fe₃O₄@CuCo₂S₄/GCE nanocomposites can be utilize in the simultaneous electrochemical determination of topotecan and mitomycin in real samples.