Polar-Surface-Directed H₂O₂ Generation and Activation via a 2D/2D S-Scheme Heterojunction

Photocatalysis has emerged as a highly promising strategy to address global energy and environmental challenges. Although S-scheme heterojunctions offer a robust strategy for enhancing the migration efficiency of photo-generated charge carriers, their capability to precisely regulate the generation of reactive oxygen species for bacterial inactivation remains unclear. Here, a 2D/2D S-scheme heterojunction is constructed that enables ultrafast interfacial electron transfer and, upon introducing a polar surface, further achieves a marked enhancement in H₂O₂ production. As a result, the catalyst exhibits markedly enhanced photocatalytic water disinfection performance, achieving a complete 7-log inactivation of E. coli within 40 min under simulated-sunlight irradiation (λ = 200-2500 nm). This work provides new insights into harnessing the potential of S-scheme heterojunctions for the precise control of ROS generation during water disinfection.