Open Access

ARTICLE

Photocatalytic Performance of Kaolin/Cu₂CdSnS₄ Composite Synthesized via Solvothermal Route

Hao Guan^*, Zicheng Wang, Ruiyang Dai, Tao Dai
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, China
* Corresponding Author: Hao Guan. Email:

Chalcogenide Letters https://doi.org/10.32604/cl.2026.075941

Received 11 November 2025; Accepted 27 January 2026; Published online 24 February 2026

Abstract

Cu₂CdSnS₄ (CCTS) has positioned itself as an efficient option used as a photocatalyst, while kaolin is an ideal catalyst carrier material. In the study, kaolin/Cu₂CdSnS₄ composite catalyst is effectively synthesized by a one-step solvothermal route and applied to remove methylene blue (MB), a typical pollutant in the textile industry. The structural, morphological, and photocatalytic properties of the composite catalyst are characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, PL, etc. The results show that a pure kaolin/Cu₂CdSnS₄ composite is obtained. The flower-like structure of Cu₂CdSnS₄ exhibits higher photocatalytic activity due to its relatively large specific surface area, while kaolin creates an ideal carrier. The band gap of the as-obtained kaolin/Cu₂CdSnS₄ composite is estimated to be 1.69 eV. MB’s degradation efficiency under simulated solar light irradiation is around 94% within 100 min, with a high rate constant of 0.03 min⁻¹. The recyclability and stability of the composite are investigated. Eventually, the mechanism of photocatalysis was explained. This study depicts that kaolin/Cu₂CdSnS₄ composite is a potential material for effective solar light photocatalytic application.

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Keywords

Cu₂CdSnS₄; kaolin; solvothermal; photocatalytic

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