Superhydrophilicity of photocatalytic branched TiO2 nanorods/In2S3 heterostructure for water purification

In2S3 / branched TiO2 nanorods (br-TiO2) heterostructure was prepared by a simple route using three-step methods as a visible and solar light photocatalyst for water treatment applications. Structural properties have been carried out by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy has been used to determine the morphology and the surface roughness of samples. The In2S3/ br-TiO2 heterojunction confirm the presence of both structures of Rutile TiO2 and cubic β-In2S3. Optical results showed that the heterojunction exhibited increased absorption ability in the visible light, indicating an increased photoactivity for In2S3/ br-TiO2 in the visible light. Wettability studies reveal that In2S3/ br-TiO2 film is superhydrophilic with water contact angle of 0°. Photocatalytic activity of heterojunction In2S3/ br-TiO2 was assessed with remarkable degradability performance of 85% after 80 min under solar irradiation. The reusability test highlighted that the In2S3/ br-TiO2 still maintained high photocatalytic activity over five cycles. The photoelectrochemical activity was evaluated. The results showed the successful development of In2S3/ br-TiO2 heterostructure with better photoactivity properties. The In2S3/ br-TiO2 electrode achieved remarkably improved current density (0.59 mA.cm2 at 0.6 V vs Ag/AgCl) compared to br-TiO2 and In2S3. These results reveal that In2S3/ br-TiO2 thin films being excellent photoactivity along with its superhydrophilic nature which it is possesses great potential toward the development of newly synthesizable catalysts in the field of water purification.