Ru-Doped ZnS as an Enhanced Visible Light-Driven Photocatalyst

Recently, visible lightVisible light-activated semiconductorSemiconductor photocatalyts have attracted the scientific community due to their immense success in wastewater treatmentWastewater treatment as well as decompositionDecomposition of hazardous organic pollutantsHazardous organic pollutants. In this work, sphaleriteSphalerite ZnS nanoparticles (NPs)Sphalerite ZnS nanoparticles (NPs) with various rutheniumRuthenium (Ru) concentrationsConcentration have been synthesized via solvothermalSolvothermal method. The feasible dopingDoping of Ru into the ZnS matrixMatrix has been confirmed by structuralStructural characterizations. The electronicElectronic and optical propertiesOptical properties have been investigated both experimentally as well as theoretically. Ru plays a vital role in the reductionReduction of the optical band gapOptical band gap and simultaneous enhancement of the absorptivityAbsorptivity towards the visible regionVisible region of the solar spectrumSolar spectrum. ThePhotocatalytic degradation photocatalytic degradation efficiencyDegradation efficiency of Ru-doped ZnS has been tested for the degradationDegradation of methylene blue (MB)Methylene Blue (MB) under visibleVisible irradiationIrradiation of a light-emitting diode (LED)Light-Emitting Diod (LED). Photoluminescence quenchingPhotoluminescence quenching as well as Bader charge analysisBader charge analysis have shown Ru acting as a charge centreCharge centre, and plays a key role in the transfer mechanismMechanism. Moreover, due to incorporation of Ru, nonmagnetic ZnS becomesNonmagnetic magneticMagnetic. The optical propertiesOptical properties of the system significantly enhanced due to Ru. Thus proposed Ru-doped ZnS system can be a cost-effectiveCost-effective superior photocatalystPhotocatalyst as well as a good potential candidate forOptoelectronic application optoelectronic applicationsApplication.