Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B by reduced graphene oxides wrapped-Cu2SnS3 flower-like architectures

Abstract In this work, an ordered flower-like Cu 2 SnS 3 /reduced graphene oxide (CTS/RGO) hybrid materials was successfully synthesized via a facile and efficient hydrothermal route using thiourea as sulfur source and polyvinylpyrrolidone as chelating agent. The formation of CTS architectures and reduction of graphene oxide (GO) occur at the same time during the hydrothermal process. The flower-like CTS architectures were self-assembled by many nanosheets with an average thickness of 45 nm, and were wrapped in RGO nanosheets. The composite exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activities for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation. The photodegradation rate of RhB in aqueous solutions (2 × 10 −5 ) reached to 87% in 210 min, which presented higher activity than pure CTS. The factors influencing photocatalytic activity, the photostability and the possible mechanism for the improved performance of CTS/RGO hybrid materials were also discussed and proposed. The present study may provide a new approach to gain in-depth insight to the design a highly efficient photocatalyst with well-defined interface.