TiO2 nanoparticles incorporated with CuInS2 clusters: preparation and photocatalytic activity for degradation of 4-nitrophenol

Abstract TiO 2 nanoparticles incorporated with CuInS 2 clusters were prepared in a solvothermal process and characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy-dispersion X-ray analysis (EDX). Compared with pure TiO 2 nanoparticles, the TiO 2 nanoparticles incorporated with CuInS 2 clusters display higher photocatalytic activity with 99.9% of degradation ratio of 4-nitrophenol after 2 h irradiation. In order to investigate the effect of the CuInS 2 clusters on the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 nanoparticles, diffuse reflectance UV–Vis spectra (DRS), photoluminescence (PL) spectra, and photocurrent action spectra were measured. The results indicate that the enhanced photocatalytic activity is probably due to the interface between TiO 2 and CuInS 2 as a trap of the photogenerated electrons to decrease the recombination of electrons and holes.