One-step hydrothermal synthesis of a ternary heterojunction g-C3N4/Bi2S3/In2S3 photocatalyst and its enhanced photocatalytic performance

Abstract

In recent years, photoelectrocatalysis has been one of the hotspots of research. Graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) is one of the few non-metal semiconductors known and has good potential in the field of photocatalysis due to its simple preparation method and visible light effects. In this study, a method for compounding two semiconductor materials, In₂S₃ and Bi₂S₃, on the surface of g-C₃N₄ via a one-step hydrothermal method is reported, and it was found that this resulting material showed remarkable properties. The advantages of this method are as follows: (1) the formation of a heterojunction, which accelerates the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers; (2) a large number of holes and defects on the surface of g-C₃N₄ are conducive to the nucleation, crystallisation and growth of In₂S₃ and Bi₂S₃. Compared with its counterpart catalysts, the CN/In₂S₃/Bi₂S₃ composite catalyst has significantly improved performance. Due to its high degree of crystallinity, the adsorption capacity of the catalyst itself is also significantly improved. In addition, the stability of the composite material maintains 90.9% after four cycles of use, and the structure is not damaged. In summary, CN/Bi₂S₃/In₂S₃ composite materials are believed to have broad application potential in the treatment of dye wastewater.