Prolonging Charge Carrier Lifetime via Intraband Defect Levels in S-Scheme Heterojunctions for Artificial...

S-scheme heterostructure photocatalysts, distinguished by unique charge-transfer pathways and exceptional catalytic redox capabilities, have found widespread applications in addressing challenging chemical processes, including the photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ with a high reaction barrier. Nevertheless, the influence of intraband defect levels within S-scheme heterojunctions on charge separation, carrier lifetime, and surface catalytic reactions has, for the most part, been overlooked. Herein, we develop a tunable defect-level-assisted strategy to construct an electron reservoir, effectively prolonging the lifetime of charge carriers through the rapid capture and gradual release of photoelectrons within WO_3-x/In₂S₃ S-scheme heterojunctions, as authenticated by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy and theoretical simulations. The surface photoredox mechanism, unraveled by Gibbs free energy calculations, demonstrates that oxygen-vacancy-induced defect states in WO_3-x/In₂S₃ heterojunctions unlock the rate-determining H₂O oxidation into free oxygen molecules by forming metastable oxygen intermediates, contributing to the facilitation of H₂O photooxidation. This distinct role, combined with the extended carrier lifetime, results in boosted CO₂ photoreduction with nearly 100 % CO selectivity in the absence of any photosensitizer or scavenger. Our work sheds light on the role of controllable defect levels in governing charge transfer dynamics within S-scheme heterojunctions, thereby inspiring the development of more advanced photocatalysts for artificial photosynthesis.