Fabrication and characterization of CdS doped TiO₂ nanotube composite and its photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methyl orange

CdS doped TiO₂ nanotube composite was fabricated by chemical bath deposition, and was characterized by the structural, spectral and photoelectrochemical properties. The results of the structural and spectral properties showed that CdS particles were successfully deposited onto the surface of TiO₂ nanotube. It is demonstrated that CdS doped TiO₂ nanotube composite improved the light harvesting ability. Power conversion efficiency of about 0.32% was observed. This value is about 2.9 times higher than that of pure TiO₂ nanotube. The CdS doped TiO₂ nanotube composite possesses relatively higher photocatalytic activity and photodegradation efficiency than that of pure TiO₂ nanotube under UV light irradiation, and the degradation efficiency of methyl orange was about 42% at UV intensity of 32 W.