Facile Synthesis of Au Nanocube-CdS Core-Shell Nanocomposites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Au nanocube-CdS core-shell nanocomposites are prepared by using a one-pot method in aqueous phase with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as the surfactant. The extinction properties and photocatalytic activity of Au-CdS nanocomposites are investigated. Compared with the pure Au nanocubes, the Au-CdS nanocomposites exhibit enhanced extinction intensity. Compared with CdS nanoparticles, the Au-CdS nanocomposites exhibit improved photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, the photocatalytic efficiency is even better with the increase in the core size of the Au-CdS nanocomposites. Typically, the photocatalytic efficiency of the Au-CdS with 62 nm sized Au nanocubes is about two times higher than that of the pure CdS. It is believed that the Au-CdS nanocomposites may find potential applications in environmental fields, and this synthesis method can be extended to prepare a wide variety of functional composites with Au cores.