Enhanced catalytic activity of one-dimensional CdS @TiO2 core-shell nanocomposites for selective organic transformations under visible LED irradiation

In this study, we are interested in the photocatalytic activity under visible LED irradiation of one-dimensional (1D) CdS @TiO2 core-shell nanocomposites (CSNs) prepared through a facile and convenient method. For the synthesis of 1D CdS@TiO2 core/shell structure, titania source (Tetrabutyl titanate) was hydrolyzed by water vapor transmission on the surface of CdS nanowires (NWs) which were prepared via solvothermal method. The characterization of 1D CdS@TiO2 core-shell nanocomposites (CdS@TiO2 CSNs) was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The as-synthesized sample was utilized for the selective reduction of nitro compounds to benzimidazole and anilide, and also the reduction of benzophenones to alcohol under blue LED irradiation. The 1D CdS@TiO2 CSNs exhibited enhanced photoactivity compared with the pure TiO2, CdS nanowires and commercial TiO2-P25. The excellent reusability of the photocatalyst was examined for six runs. The results demonstrated that the prepared sample has the potential to provide a promising visible light-driven photocatalyst for other organic transformations.