Rich Indium‐Vacancies In <sub>2</sub> S <sub>3</sub> with Atomic p–n Homojunction for Boosting Photocatalytic Multifunctional Properties
Yuxin Liu, Cailing Chen, Yiqiang He, Zhe Zhang, Mingbian Li, Chunguang Li, Xiaobo Chen, Yu Han, Zhan Shi
Abstract
Abstract Design and development of highly efficient photocatalytic materials are key to employ photocatalytic technology as a sound solution to energy and environment related challenges. This work aims to significantly boost photocatalytic activity through rich indium vacancies (V In ) In 2 S 3 with atomic p–n homojunction through a one‐pot preparation strategy. Positron annihilation spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance reveal existence of V In in the prepared photocatalysts. Mott–Schottky plots and surface photovoltage spectra prove rich V In In 2 S 3 can form atomic p–n homojunction. It is validated that p–n homojunction can effectively separate carriers combined with photoelectrochemical tests. V In decreases carrier transport activation energy (CTAE) from 0.64 eV of V In ‐poor In 2 S 3 to 0.44 eV of V In ‐rich In 2 S 3 . The special structure endows defective In 2 S 3 with multifunctional photocatalysis properties, i.e., hydrogen production (872.7 µmol g −1 h −1 ), degradation of methyl orange (20 min, 97%), and reduction in heavy metal ions Cr(VI) (30 min, 98%) under simulated sunlight, which outperforms a variety of existing In 2 S 3 composite catalysts. Therefore, such a compositional strategy and mechanistic study are expected to offer new insights for designing highly efficient photocatalysts through defect engineering.