Novel In2S3/ZnWO4 heterojunction photocatalysts: facile synthesis and high-efficiency visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity

Abstract

Novel heterojunction photocatalysts In₂S₃/ZnWO₄ were prepared by a hydrothermal and surface-functionalized method, and the optimized In₂S₃/ZnWO₄ ratio was tuned to explore their visible-light photocatalytic activity for rhodamine B (RhB) degradation. The heterojunction structure formed by the In₂S₃ nanoparticles grew on the primary ZnWO₄ nanorods. Remarkably, In₂S₃/ZnWO₄ composites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than that of the individual In₂S₃ and ZnWO₄. The enhanced activity could be attributed to the strong visible-light absorption and the effective separation and transportance of the photogenerated charges. Moreover, the main active species for the degradation of RhB were also investigated. Then, a possible reaction mechanism for the excellent photocatalytic activity of the In₂S₃/ZnWO₄ composites was proposed.