To eliminate the coloured-elements/dyes from effluents, ZnO based photocatalysts are significantly effective. Using simple low temperature aqueous solution process ZnO/CdS/CuS ternary heterostructure has been developed, wherein CdS and CuS nanoparticles are embedded onto the surface of micron-sized ZnO hexagonal disks, the morphology and chemical composition of which are determined by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The CdS and CuS nanoparticles on the ZnO surface play crucial roles in substantial reduction of the optical band gap that facilitates in a significant visible light photocatalysis characteristics of the heterostructure. An enlarged surface area of the heterostructure contributes increased number of reactive sites for dye adsorption. Besides the synergistic effect, the optimized band structures of ZnO, CdS and CuS strategically influence on the effective electron-hole separation and transfer. Efficient photocatalytic dye degradation is accomplished via formation of the superoxide radicals (O₂^•−) by the CB-electrons and the hydroxyl radicals (•OH) by the VB-holes. For ZnO/CdS/CuS heterostructures superior photocatalytic activity with the highest degradation rate constants ‘k’, ~0.0152 min⁻¹ for RhB dye and 0.0217 min⁻¹ for MO dye are obtained via strategically impeding the recombination of photoexcited charge carriers by proper band alignment among different components of the heterostructure.

为了消除废水中的有色元素/染料，基于 ZnO 的光催化剂非常有效。使用简单的低温水溶液工艺开发了 ZnO/CdS/CuS 三元异质结构，其中 CdS 和 CuS 纳米颗粒嵌入微米级 ZnO 六边形圆盘的表面，通过 X 射线衍射确定其形貌和化学成分、透射电子能谱和 X 射线光电子能谱。ZnO 表面上的 CdS 和 CuS 纳米粒子在显着减小光学带隙方面起着至关重要的作用，这有助于异质结构的显着可见光光催化特性。异质结构的表面积扩大有助于染料吸附反应位点的数量增加。除了协同效应，ZnO、CdS 和 CuS 的优化能带结构对有效的电子-空穴分离和转移具有重要影响。有效的光催化染料降解是通过形成超氧自由基 (O₂ ^•- ) 由 CB 电子和羟基自由基 (•OH) 由 VB 孔。对于氧化锌/ CDS /的CuS异质结构具有最高降解速率常数数“k”优良的光催化活性，〜0.0152分钟^-1为罗丹明染料和0.0217分钟^-1为MO染料通过由适当的带策略性地阻碍光激发载流子的重组获得异质结构的不同组件之间的对齐。