S-scheme photocatalysis induced by ultrathin TiO2(B) nanosheets-anchored hierarchical In2S3 spheres for boosted photocatalytic activity

S-scheme photocatalytic systems driven by semiconductors are highly promising to degrade deleterious antibiotics in a sustainable manner. Here, ultrathin TiO2(B) nanosheets-decorated hierarchical In2S3 spheres were fabricated for the photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline. The optimized IT-1.5:1 heterojunction attains stronger visible light-harvesting ability, superior electron-hole transfer efficiency, and abundant coupling heterointerfaces to generate reactive radicals, achieving an impressive removal efficiency of 97.3%, which is approximately 3.2 and 2.1-fold greater than TiO2(B) and In2S3. Furthermore, the possible degradation pathways of tetracycline were proposed based on the calculated Fuki indexes and intermediates detected by a HPLC-MS. On In2S3/TiO2(B) interfaces, the migration of electrons from TiO2(B) to In2S3 and an intensive built-in electronic field resulted in S-scheme mode, instead of type-II. The In2S3/TiO2(B) S-scheme structure offers an internal electron channel at the interface and maintains the active sites with high potentials for photocatalysis. This study provides protocols for rational design of S-scheme catalysts for sustainable water purification.

Automated summary

The fabrication of ultrathin TiO2(B) nanosheets-decorated hierarchical In2S3 spheres forming an efficient IT-1.5:1 heterojunction led to a superior photocatalytic degradation performance. The S-scheme structure at the In2S3/TiO2(B) interface provided an internal electron channel and maintained active sites, offering new insights for the design of sustainable water purification catalysts.