Construction of Z-Scheme CdS/WO3 Heterostructure on Photonic Crystals with High-Efficiency Photocatalysis Performance

Tungsten oxide (WO3) has been widely used as a photocatalyst for its suitable bandgap and relative stability. However, the high recombination rate of photo-generated carriers impedes raising the photocatalytic efficiency of tungsten oxide (WO3) beyond its current value. In this work, a cadmium sulfide (CdS) and tungsten oxide (WO3) Z-scheme heterostructure system was constructed which shows improved photocatalytic performance due to better hole-electron separation. In addition, photonic crystal fluorine-doped SnO2 (FTO) was applied to the photoanode as a supporting framework for CdS and WO3, which can also play a role in assisting photocatalytic materials to assimilate light at the same time. As a result, the overall photocatalytic performance of a Z-scheme system on a photonic crystal framework has been significantly increased beyond that of conventional tungsten oxide.