Fabrication of a Concave Cubic Z-Scheme ZnIn2S4/Cu2O Heterojunction with Superior Light-Driven CO2 Reduction Performance

The photocatalytic CO2 reduction technology can effectively decrease the CO2 content in air while converting CO2 into high-value-added chemicals and turning waste into treasure. In this study, Cu2O with a concave cubic structure was fabricated by selective etching, and ZnIn2S4 nanosheets were successfully loaded on it uniformly, which significantly elevated its catalytic activity. The maximum CO yield of 9.98 mu mol/g/h was obtained on the Z-scheme ZIS/Cu2O-0.3 photocatalyst, which was 3.7 and 4.3 times as high as the bare Cu2O concave cube and ZnIn2S4, respectively. The excellent photocatalytic performance could be attributed to the construction of Z-scheme heterojunction which facilitated the efficient separation of electron-hole pairs, a large specific surface area that provided an abundance of reactive sites, and positive visible light response.

Automated summary

The photocatalytic CO2 reduction technology can reduce the CO2 content in air and convert CO2 into high-value-added chemicals, making waste into treasure. In this study, Cu2O with a concave cubic structure was selectively etched to fabricate a Z-scheme heterojunction with uniformly loaded ZnIn2S4 nanosheets, which greatly enhanced its catalytic activity. The Z-scheme ZIS/Cu2O-0.3 photocatalyst achieved the maximum CO yield of 9.98 mu mol/g/h, which was 3.7 and 4.3 times higher than the bare Cu2O concave cube and ZnIn2S4, respectively. The excellent photocatalytic performance was attributed to the Z-scheme heterojunction, large specific surface area, and positive visible light response.