Clove oil-mediated green synthesis of silver-doped cadmium sulfide and their photocatalytic degradation activity

Abstract

For the first time, this paper describes green synthesis employing clove oil for the synthesis of pure and silver-doped cadmium sulfide nanoparticles. In the present study pure and silver doped cadmium sulphide (CdS) quantum dots were synthesized through a novel method using clove oil as stabilizing agent and hydrazine hydrate was used as reducing agent in water. Characterization of the prepared CdS nanoparticles were carried out using UV–visible spectroscopy, EDX, SEM, FT-IR and XRD. FT-IR spectra showed the availability of different functional groups on the surface of the nanoparticles and confirmed the fatty acids of clove oil on nanoparticles surface. SEM analysis reveals spherical polydispersed shape nanoparticles. Presence of Cd, S and Ag were confirmed within the samples using EDX analysis of nanoparticles. XRD pattern displayed characteristic Bragg indexes of (1 1 1), (2 0 0) and (2 2 0) corresponding to the hexagonal structure of both pure and Ag doped CdS nanoparticles, and the shape of nanoparticles remain unaltered after the Ag-doping. Photoluminescence (PL) of nanoparticles showed a decrease with doping in Ag+ concentration. Reduction in the intensity of PL of Ag-doped CdS showed the energy transfer from excited state to the Ag+ ions surface.