Cu1.8S-Passivated carbon dots for enhancing photocatalytic activity.

To allow low cost and green carbon dots (CDs) to play a central role in photocatalysis, here we present a strategy in which their photocatalytic activities can be significantly improved by combining them with a small amount of Cu1.8S. Not only can Cu1.8S-passivated CDs more efficiently reduce benzoquinone species to phenols than CDs alone, but can also enhance the formation rate of ˙OH radicals under visible irradiation.