Emergence of CuInS₂ derived photocatalyst for environmental remediation and energy conversion

Hydrogen production, catalytic organic synthesis, carbon dioxide reduction, environmental purification, and other major fields have all adopted photocatalytic technologies due to their eco-friendliness, ease of use, and reliance on sunlight as the driving force. Photocatalyst is the key component of photocatalytic technology. Thus, it is of utmost importance to produce highly efficient, stable, visible-light-responsive photocatalysts. CIS stands out among other visible-light-response photocatalysts for its advantageous combination of easy synthesis, non-toxicity, high stability, and suitable band structure. In this study, we took a brief glance at the synthesis techniques for CIS after providing a quick introduction to the fundamental semiconductor features, including the crystal and band structures of CIS. Then, we discussed the ways doping, heterojunction creation, p-n heterojunction, type-II heterojunction, and Z-scheme may be used to modify CIS's performance. Subsequently, the applications of CIS towards pollutant degradation, CO₂ reduction, water splitting, and other toxic pollutants remediation are reviewed in detail. Finally, several remaining problems with CIS-based photocatalysts are highlighted, along with future potential for constructing more superior photocatalysts.