Improved photocatalytic activity of ZnO via the modification of In2O3 and MoS2 surface species for the photoreduction of CO2

Herein, a series of In2O3 and MoS2 surface-bound active species co-modified using ZnO nanorods (ZnO-In2O3X %/MoS2Y%) were synthesized via a hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis absorption, and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as time-resolved photoluminescence decay curves, have shown that In2O3 and MoS2 were the active species co-modified on the surface of ZnO. The band structure of the resulting photocatalysts was determined via characterization experiments combined with theoretical calculations, and the behavior of the photo-generated electrons and holes were investigated. We noted that the In2O3 and MoS2 surface-bound active species generated transfer channels for the holes and electrons, respectively. For the CO2 photoreduction reaction, the ZnO-In2O3X%/MoS2Y% photocatalysts exhibited improved performance due to the contribution of the surface species during the efficient separation of the photo-generated electrons and holes; this enhanced the visible light absorption capacity and, thus, the catalyst's band structure matching with the redox potential of CO2 photoreduction. This paper provides a new strategy for designing and preparing novel photocatalysts with surface-bound active sites and high photocatalytic performance.

Automated summary

In this study, a series of In2O3 and MoS2 surface-bound active species co-modified with ZnO nanorods were synthesized and shown to enhance the performance of photocatalysts for CO2 photoreduction reactions. This new strategy allows for the design and preparation of novel photocatalysts with surface-bound active sites and high photocatalytic performance.