A novel nanocomposite comprising Schiff base ligand functionalized zinc sulphide nanoparticles for heavy metal detection and photocatalytic dye degradation

ABSTRACT

Herein, we report the detection and removal/degradation of metal ions and dye species using nanotechnology-based approach. A Schiff base (Sb) ligand has been prepared by a solvent-less method; post which, the ligand is used for functionalizing zinc sulphide nanoparticles (ZnS NPs) in the aqueous medium. The Sb–ZnS NPs proved to be a dual probe, viz., for the detection of Pb²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions, and as a photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The experiments using the Sb–ZnS NP photocatalyst under daylight illumination revealed higher efficiency with 96% degradation of MB than that in the dark with only 66% degradation of the dye. Further, the degradation of the dye followed first-order rate kinetics with a higher rate constant for light-illuminated sample (16.3 × 10⁻⁴ min⁻¹) than the one kept at dark (6.85 × 10⁻⁴ min⁻¹). UV–Vis, PL, FT-IR, TEM and powder XRD analyses have been routinely used for the present investigation.

KEYWORDS:

• Green synthesis
• ZnS nanoparticles
• heavy metal detection
• methylene blue degradation
• photocatalyst

Acknowledgements

We thank the CRF, National Institute of Technology, Agartala, for providing the required experimental support and CIF, National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya for helping with powder XRD analysis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data generated or analysed during this study are provided in full within the published article.