Core-shell structure-induced exciton unidirectional transport in PhC2Cu for enhanced antibiotics degradation

For this work, a novel heterogeneous PhC₂Cu/ZnO, function of facilitating unidirectional exciton transport, was successfully constructed. Leveraging ZnO’s robust electron transfer capability, highly efficient delocalization of photogenerated electrons, and rapid separation of photogenerated carriers from PhC₂Cu was achieved, leading to improved photocatalytic performance. Remarkably, the addition of just 5 % ZnO enhanced the photocatalytic degradation ability of ciprofloxacin (CIP) by 4.24 times (15 min, 95.2 %). In addition, the issues related to the wide bandgap and photocorrosion of ZnO were effectively circumvented through our designed strategy. Meanwhile, the electron delocalization effect within PhC₂Cu enhances its molecular stability, which in turn improves the photocatalyst’s performance and long-term recyclability. Moreover, the impact of different ZnO morphologies on exciton transport was systematically investigated, with the core–shell structure identified as most conducive to efficient interface electron transfer. Through in-situ XPS analysis, the exciton unidirectional transport effect was directly demonstrated.