LAUSR

Abstract We synthesized a novel CdS/Cucurbit[n]urils (CB[n], n = 5–10) composites by a simple one-step process. The CdS/CB[5] photo-catalyst exhibits excellent performance. In this context, CdS/CB[5] were studied by different chemical characterization techniques including fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) techniques. FT-IR and XPS indicate that the caged carbonyl port of CB[5] achieves substantial separation of CdS electron-holes. Furthermore, the concentration of hydroxyl radicals was monitored by fluorescence spectroscopy, which confirmed that the Cucurbit[n]urils can effectively enhance the photocatalytic reaction. We have checked the regeneration efficiency of CdS/CB[5], which was still at its higher value even after four cycles of recycling testing. Moreover, a reliable photocatalytic mechanism supported by fluorescent probe for degrading MB aqueous solution in the CdS/CB[5] composite was also described. We anticipate that the study of the mechanism of temporary interaction with holes can have a great impact on photo-catalysis theory.