Interfacial Linkage Engineering Inducted Directional Electron Transfer Over ZnIn2S4@BiOCl S-Scheme Heterojunctions for CO2 Photoreduction and Tetracycline Decomposition

Abstract

The rational design of ZnIn₂S₄@BiOCl (ZIS@BiOCl) S-scheme heterojunctions through interfacial In─O linkage creates smooth directional carrier channels, significantly enhancing charge transfer and separation. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations and experimental characterizations confirm that the strong built-in electric field and interfacial In─O coupling synergistically promote charge migration. The optimized 3% ZIS@BiOCl composite demonstrates exceptional photocatalytic activity, achieving CO and CH₄ production rates of 1132.63 and 17.47 µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively, along with an 83.1% tetracycline (TC) degradation efficiency. In situ FTIR spectroscopy reveals the CO₂ reduction pathway to CO/CH₄, while LC-MS analysis identifies TC degradation intermediates. This work provides atomic-level insights for designing efficient S-scheme photocatalysts for simultaneous CO₂ reduction and pollutant degradation.