One-step Synthesis of ZnIn2S4/Ti3C2Tx Hybrids for Efficient Photodegradation of Organic Pollutants

ZnIn 2 S 4 has drawn increasing attention in the field of photocatalysis due to its low price, high stability, and ease of availability, as well as its visible light response and ordered nanostructure characteristics. However, the low surface area and limited photogenerated-exciton separation efficiency of pure ZnIn 2 S 4 hinder the further improvement of photocatalytic activity. To address these issues, Ti 3 C 2 T x is in-situ integrated with the ZnIn 2 S 4 through a one-step hydrothermal method, that can simultaneously regulate the catalytic active sites, energy level alignment, and charge transfer channel to enhance the photocatalytic performance. The Ti 3 C 2 T x parts are directionally distributed on surface of those flower-like ZnIn 2 S 4 microspheres for improving the photogenerated carrier generation/separation and reducing the carrier’s recombination during the photocatalytic process. Additionally, Ti 3 C 2 T x promotes the flower-like microspheres of ZnIn 2 S 4 to "bloom" and consequently increase the surface-active sites. As a result, the photocatalytic degradation rate of organic pollutants is increased by two times after surface functionalization of ZnIn 2 S 4 . This work provides a new structural design method to construct more efficient catalysts for organic pollutants and brings the understanding of the specific relationship between structure and photocatalytic performance. Graphical Abstract The photocatalytic degradation rate of organic pollutants was increased by two times after the integration of ZnIn 2 S 4 with Ti 3 C 2 T X through a one-step hydrothermal method.