Co-Precipitation Synthesis of Pd/CuS Heterojunction Composites for Catalytic Reduction of Nitroaromatic Compounds

In this study, pristine (CuS) and binary heterostructured Pd doped CuS (Pd/CuS composite) as catalysts were synthesized in aqueous solution by chemical co-precipitation method without any capping or stabilizing agent. The fabricated samples were characterized using different tools including UV-vis DRS, PL, powder XRD, TEM, and BET surface area measurements. Hexagonal crystal structure of pure and binary Pd/CuS composite were authenticated by XRD patterns. TEM images indicated that sphere-shape of nanoparticles through a size ranging from 10–15 nm. The optical absorption edge moved to higher energies with Pd concentration (0.72%) as indicated by UV–Vis spectroscopy. UV–Vis analysis showed that the optical energy band gap changed in the presence of Pd doping. The catalytic performance of the pure and Pd/CuS composites were assessed by evaluating the reduction of nitroaromatic compounds such as 4-nitro phenol (4‑NP, 95.42%) and 4-nitro aniline (4-NA, 93.55%) using NaBH4 as a reducing agent in 24 min of reaction. The 0.72% Pd doped CuS nanoparticles provide evidence for high-quality catalytic activity. The catalytic reduction analysis proved that the products have a higher percentage of reduction after doping and it is proving to be an efficient and cost effective nanocatalyst for waste water treatment.