Cobalt-doped SnS2 nanoplates for high-efficiency catalysis applications

Abstract

The photocatalysis degradation of methyl iso thiazolinone (MIT) in water was effectively performed using cobalt-doped tin sulfide (Co–SnS2) nanoplates under UV irradiation. X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) show that the crystallite size of nanoplates increases from 26 nm to 48 nm. Undoped SnS2 nanoplates exhibit plate-like nanostructure with smooth surfaces, with a size of 150–400 μm and a 50–70 nm thickness. Doping SnS2 nanoplates with cobalt increases the nanoplate's size to 300–600 nm. SnS2 and Co-doped SnS2 nanoplates have indirect bandgap energy with values of 1.95 and 1.86 eV, respectively. On the other hand, the electrical conductivity of SnS2 and Co-doped SnS2 nanoplates was 1.67×10−5S.cm−1 and 1.64×10−4S.cm−1, which increases to 6.54×10−4S.cm−1 and 1.25×10−2S.cm−1 upon UV irradiation, respectively. The higher degradation efficiency of a 5 mg/L concentration of MIT via SnS2 and Co–SnS2 nanoplates after 160 min is 66% and 91%, respectively. Finally, the photodegradation process was investigated using UV-VIS and FTIR analysis.