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Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance for CO2 Reduction Using an Indirect Z-Scheme Heterojunction Photocatalyst
I-Hua Tsai1, Chen-Hsiu Fu1, Ting-Hui Lin1
1Department of Applied Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
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Efficient suppression of charge recombination remains a central challenge in photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Here, we report a rational source-to-design strategy to construct both direct and indirect Z-scheme heterojunctions by integrating graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI), and Ag nanoparticles. A solvent-free ball-milling process combined with light-driven Ag photodeposition enables intimate interfacial coupling while preserving the layered frameworks of both semiconductors. Among the resulting systems, the Ag-bridged indirect Z-scheme exhibits a CO evolution yield of 344.6 μmol g-1 under visible-light irradiation, markedly outperforming pristine g-C3N4 and the direct Z-scheme counterpart. Mechanistic investigations reveal that Ag nanoparticles function as efficient electron mediators, facilitating directional electron transfer from BiOI to Ag and hole transfer from g-C3N4 to Ag, thereby suppressing recombination and enhancing carrier mobility. This work establishes an effective design paradigm for indirect Z-scheme photocatalysts and provides general insights into mediator-assisted interfacial engineering for solar-driven CO2 conversion.
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