Novel CVD Grown Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Thin Film Based Visible Light Photocatalysts for Environmental Remediation

Abstract

Photocatalytic decomposition of water pollutants, including industrial dyes newlineand chemicals, has emerged as a critical focus of recent research. Two-dimensional newlinetransition metal dichalcogenides (2D-TMDs) with atomic thickness have become newlineextremely promising materials, capturing significant attention for their efficacy as newlinevisible light photocatalysts, attributed to their abundant active sites and expansive newlinesurface area. This thesis explores the fabrication of monolayer and few-layer MoS2 newline(molybdenum disulfide) and WS2 (tungsten disulfide) thin films on sapphire substrates newlineusing chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with organic precursors. The study examines newlinethe relationship between structure and photocatalytic capabilities, specifically the effect newlineof size and morphology on increasing photocatalytic activity, by methodically adjusting newlinesynthesis factors. newlineIn this thesis, our findings demonstrate that these thin films function as newlinepotent photocatalysts, facilitating the efficient degradation of organic dyes, including newlineMethylene Blue (MB), Methyl Orange (MO), and Rhodamine B (RhB), under visible newlinelight irradiation. Furthermore, films were successfully recovered and reused multiple newlinetimes, maintaining their photocatalytic efficiency and demonstrating exceptional newlinestructural and chemical stability throughout the cycles newline