Visible-light-driven photocatalytic properties and electronic structures of nickel sulfide nanoflowers

• Published in: Solid state sciences Vol. 43; pp. 59 - 62
• Main Authors: Chao, Junfeng, Duan, Degong, Xing, Shumin, Zhao, Yuliang, Zhang, Xiutai, Gao, Suling, Li, Xiaohong, Fan, Qiufeng, Yang, Junping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Masson SAS 01.05.2015
• Subjects: Band structure of solids; Electronic structure; Electronic structures; Nanostructure; Nickel; NiS nanoflowers; Orbitals; Photocataly; Photocatalysis; Polyol refluxing; Polyols; Sulfides; Polyol refluxing; Photocataly; NiS nanoflowers; Electronic structures
• ISSN: 1293-2558; 1873-3085
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solidstatesciences.2015.03.022

Nickel sulfide (NiS) nanoflowers with the thickness of ca. 5–10 nm and size up to several hundreds of nanometers were synthesized via a facile polyol refluxing process under the open-air condition. The photocatalytic properties of NiS nanoflowers were evaluated by the decomposition ratio of MB was up to nearly 98% after 3 h visible light irradiation, indicating the NiS nanoflowers were good candidates for high performance photocatalysts. Meanwhile, the influencing factor of the photocatalytic reaction had also been studied by calculating the electronic structure of NiS nanoflowers. The band structure indicates that charge transfer upon photoexcitation occurs from the S 3p orbital to the empty Ni orbital. NiS nanoflowers, photocatalytic characteristics for photodegradation of MB solution. [Display omitted] •NiS nanoflowers have been firstly synthesized via a polyol refluxing process.•NiS nanoflowers were good candidates for high performance photocatalysts.•Electronic structures were investigated by plane-wave DFT calculation.