Engineering ZnIn₂S₄ with efficient charge separation and utilization for synergistic accelerate dual-function...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Photocatalysis
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Efficient solar energy utilization requires integrated photocatalytic systems.
• Simultaneous oxidation and reduction reactions are challenging in single photocatalytic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel photocatalyst for synergistic organic synthesis and CO2 reduction.
• To enhance solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of surfactant-functionalized Au/ZIS-V photocatalyst.
• Utilizing Zn vacancies and Au-S bonding for enhanced charge separation.
• Investigating reaction mechanisms using isotopic tracing, in situ spectroscopy (EPR, XPS, DRIFTS), and DFT.

Main Results:

• Au/ZIS-V demonstrated synergistic acceleration of phenylcarbinol oxidation and CO2-to-CO conversion.
• CO2 reduction thermodynamics and kinetics improved significantly (11.09x and 45.51x, respectively).
• Zn vacancies and internal electric field at the Au/ZIS-V junction promoted charge carrier separation.

Conclusions:

• Vacancies coupled with metal clusters synergistically enhance photocatalytic redox performance.
• The developed Au/ZIS-V photocatalyst shows significant potential for environmental and energy applications.