Construction of In2S3@ZIF-8@ZnIn2S4 hierarchical nanoflower heterostructures to promote photocatalytic reduction activity

Abstract

Current technologies for photocatalytic reduction in wastewater suffer from the limitations of the material. In this study, we demonstrate that ZIF-8 can be utilized as an interfacial substance in the preparation of heterostructured In₂S₃@ZnIn₂S₄ nanoflowers. This structure effectively promotes carrier movement and inhibits the recombination of photogenerated carriers by spatial separation at the edge of nanoflowers and the reduced energy loss of the charge-transfer state in the heterostructure, thus achieving ultrahigh photoreduction efficiency. Consequently, the photoreduction rate of the final In₂S₃@ZIF-8@ZnIn₂S₄ can reach as high as 97.8% toward Cr(VI) under visible-light irradiation within 30 min, almost 2 times higher than that of the pristine heterojunction.