Step-scheme 0D/2D Heterojunctions Based on Ag₂S Nanoparticles/Graphite-C₃N₄ Nanosheets with Enhanced Visible-light Photocatalytic CO₂ Reduction Performance

Abstract

Heterostructured photocatalysts are promising candidate materials in the field of photocatalysis. Heterojunctions play an important role in the separation of carriers in space. In this study, a 0D/2D step (S)-scheme heterojunctions were prepared by in-situ growth of Ag₂S nanoparticles (NPs) onto porous graphite (g)-C₃N₄ nanosheets. Ag₂S NPs effectively shortened the diffusion path of carriers, thus promoting interfacial charge migration and further improving surface photocatalytic activity. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical tests indicated an internal electric field formed at the g-C₃N₄/Ag₂S interface, which enabled efficient separation and enhanced the photocatalytic CO₂ reduction activity while preserving the maximum redox capacity of photogenerated carriers. Under the irradiation of visible light, the CO yield of Ag₂S/g-C₃N₄ composites was about 17.24 µmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹ and their CH₄ yield was about 2.36 µmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹, both of which were better than those of Ag₂S and g-C₃N₄. This work provides new insights into novel structures of S-scheme heterojunctions for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction.

Keywords

S-Scheme / Photocatalysis / CO₂ reduction / 0D/2D Heterojunction

References

[1] Chen J, Chen Y, Mao B, Wang X, Peng L. Environ. Sci. Pollut. R., 2022, 29: 51537.

[2] Dang H, Guan B, Chen J, Ma Z, Chen Y, Zhang J, Guo Z, Chen L, Hu J, Yi C, Yao S, Huang Z. Energy Fuels, 2024, 38: 4836

[3] Zhang Z, Zhou R, Ke L, Li J, Jayan H, El-Seedi H R, Zou X, Guo Z. Trends Food Sci. Technol., 2024, 154: 154.

[4] Zhang Y, Gao M, Chen S, Wang H, Huo P. Acta Phys.-Chim. Sin., 2023, 39: 2211051.

[5] Khan K Y, Tang Y, Cheng P, Song Y, Li X, Lou J, Iqbal B, Zhao X, Hameed R, Li G. Appl. Soil Ecol., 2024, 197: 105331.

[6] Nazir M J, Li G, Nazir M M, Zulfiqar F, Siddique K H M, Iqbal B, Du D. Soil Till. Res., 2024, 237: 105959.

[7] Xiao Q, Liu T, Zhou Q H, Li L Y, Chang C T, Gao D W, Li D Y, You F F. Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2024, 40: 484

[8] Yan S R, Zhang L, Shi S H, Ren Y Y, Liu W H, Li Y J, Duan F, Lu S L, Du M L, Chen M Q. Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2025, 41: 121

[9] Xiao M J, Li D, Wei Y Z, He Y L, Wang Z M, Yu R B. Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2024, 40: 513

[10] Zeng B Y, Xia T T, Sun Y L, Zhang P, Wang W J, Zhao K. Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2024, 40: 451

[11] Xu Y, Hassan M M, Ali S, Li H, Ouyang Q, Chen Q. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2021, 69: 1667

[12] Chai Y, Tang S, Wang Q, Wu Q, Liang J, Li L. Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 2023, 338: 123012

[13] Wu Q, Zhong Y, Chen R, Ling G, Wang X, Shen Y, Hao C. Ind. Crop. Prod., 2024, 222: 119676

[14] Cui E, Lu Y, Jiang J, Arramel, Wang D, Zhai T. Chinese J. Catal., 2024, 59: 126

[15] Jiang J, Li F, Zou J, Liu S, Wang J, Zou Y, Xiang K, Zhang H, Zhu G, Zhang Y. Science China Materials, 2022, 65: 2895.

[16] Liu D, Sun B, Bai S, Gao T, Zhou G. Chinese J. Catal., 2023, 50: 11

[17] Jiang Z, Cheng B, Zhang L, Zhang Z, Bie C. Chinese J. Catal., 2023, 52: 18.

[18] Ong C B, Ng L Y, Mohammad A W. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., 2018, 81: 536

[19] Zhang Z Y, Jiang D L, Li D, He M Q, Chen M. Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 2016, 183: 113

[20] Yu C, Song J, Kim T I. ACS Catal., 2023, 13: 665

[21] Zheng Z, Tian S, Feng Y, Zhao S, Li X, Wang S, He Z. Chinese J. Catal., 2023, 54: 88

[22] Feng Y X, Yu H J, Lu T G, Zheng Z Y, Tian S, Xiang L, Zhao S, Wang S, He Z. Rare Met., 2024, 43: 5891

[23] Xiao L, Zhang J, Lu T, Zhou G H, Ren Y, Zheng Z, Yuan X, Wang S, He Z. NPJ Clean Water, 2024, 7: 98

[24] Deepthi V, Sebastian A, Vidhya B. J. Sol-Gel Sci. Technol., 2024, 109: 362

[25] Qi B, Shen R, Ren Z, Teng Y, Ding H, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Hao L, Li X. J. Mater. Sci. Tech., 2025, 232: 65

[26] Wang X P, Li Y J, Li T, Jin Z L. Adv. Sustain. Syst., 2023, 7: 2200139

[27] Wang Y F, Zhou G S, Xu Y R, Cheng Y, Song M S, Jin J, Liu X L, Lu Z Y. Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2025, 41: 741

[28] Ye L, Jin X, Liu C, Ding C, Wong P K. Appl. Catal. B: Environ., 2016, 187: 281

[29] Li X, Shen D, Liu C, Li J, Yan Y. J. Colloid Interface Sci., 2019, 554: 468

[30] Yang X D, Guo Z Q, Xu Y C, Li Z L, Zhou Y T, Yang Z M, Zhou Z S, Gao Y, Zhang J S. Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2024, 40: 536

[31] Zhu Z, Zhang H Y, Teng Y, Lin X, Li M, Li Y J. Surf. Interfaces, 2023, 41: 103160

[32] Faraji M, Parsaee F, Kheirmand M. J. Solid State Chem., 2021, 303: 122529

[33] Liu J, Tian N, Ren S, Zhang Z, Yang Z, Xue Y, Zhang Y, Gao L, Huang H. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2025, 35: 2413406

[34] Jiang J, Xiong Z, Wang H, Liao G, Bai S, Zou J, Wu P, Zhang P, Li X. J. Mater. Sci. Tech., 2022, 118: 15

[35] Wang H, Jiang J, Yu L, Peng J, Song Z, Xiong Z, Li N, Xiang K, Zou J, Hsu J. Small, 2023, 19: e2301116

[36] Wen D, Wang N, Peng J, Majima T, Jiang J. Chinese J. Catal., 2025, 69: 58.

[37] Ma S, Pan L G, You T, Wang K. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2021, 69: 4874

[38] Sun J, Qu Y, Wang G. Chem. Eng. J., 2025, 514: 163147

[39] Xu G, Zhang H, Wei J, Zhang H X, Ye J. ACS Nano, 2018, 12: 5333

[40] Xiang J X, Xu P, Wang J, Shi Y, Yang S T, Tang D Q, Tang S P, Li Y J. J. Alloys Compd., 2024, 1002: 175476

[41] Qi K, Imparato C, Almjasheva O, Khataee A, Zheng W. J. Colloid Interface Sci., 2024, 675: 150

[42] Ke Y, Wang S, Jin F. Catal. Sci. Tech., 2024, 14: 1595

[43] Xu M, Li Z, Shen R, Zhang X, Zhang Z, Zhang P, Li X. Chinese J. Catal., 2025, 70: 431.

[44] Jiang J, Bai S, Yang M, Zou J, Li N, Peng J, Wang H, Xiang K, Liu S, Zhai T. Nano Research, 2022, 15: 5977

[45] Ding H, Shen R, Huang K, Huang C, Liang G, Zhang P, Li X. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2024, 34: 2400065

[46] Gao R, Shen R, Huang C, Huang K, Liang G, Zhang P, Li X. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2025, 64: e202414229

[47] Wang C C, You C J, Rong K, Shen C Q, Yang F, Li S J. Acta Phys.-Chim. Sin., 2024, 40: 761

[48] Chu Y., Zheng Y., Xu J., Dong R., Zhu F., Wang K., Wu Y., He Y., Inorg. Chem. Front., 2025, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5QI01226K.

[49] Xu J, Yan X, Reng X, Dong R, Chu Y, Zheng Y, Wang K, Wu Y, He Y. J. Environ. Chem. Eng., 2025, 13: 118386

[50] Liu Z K, Li Y J, Jin Z L. J. Materi. Chem. C, 2023, 11: 9327

[51] Shen R, Liang G, Hao L, Zhang P, Li X. Adv. Mater., 2023, 35: 2303649

[52] Yang M X, Li Y J, Jin Z L. Adv. Sustain. Syst., 2023, 7: 2200344

[53] Xia C, Zheng Y, Chu Y, Xu J, Dong R, Zhuang L, Zhao L, He Y. J. Environ. Chem. Eng., 2025, 13: 117869

[54] Huang K, Liang G, Sun S, Hu H, Peng X, Shen R, Li X. J. Mater. Sci. Tech., 2024, 193: 98

[55] Zheng Y, Chu Y, Dong R, Xu J, Zhao L, Wang K, Wu Y, He Y. J. Alloys Compd., 2025, 1037: 182237

[56] Liu H, Zhang Y Y, Li D J, Li Y J, Jin Z L. ACS Appl. Energy Mater., 2022, 5: 2474

[57] Wang S, Ke Y H, Jin F, Li Y J, Jin Z L. Mater. Today Chem., 2025, 43: 102450

[58] Zheng C Y, Jiang G P, Li Y J, Jin Z L. J. Alloys Compd., 2022, 904: 164041

[59] Waqas M. Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2024, 40: 529

[60] Zhou S Y, Li P, Zhang C B, Wang Y, Dong G L, Jia R K. Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2025, 41: 583

[61] Liu Z, Wang L, Liu P, Zhao K, Ye S, Liang G. Food Chem., 2021, 357: 129753

[62] Yang B, Yu T T, Yang C Y, Wu W W, Jiang J Z. J. Alloys Compd., 2025, 1010: 177413

[63] Cui L Q, Chen F T, Li Y J, Hu H, Li J, Gao J F, Lin X, Chen Z. Mater. Today Chem., 2024, 37: 102025

[64] Meng C C, Huang M, Li Y C. Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2023, 39: 697

[65] Teng Y, Ning L L, Tan C W, Zhao J, Xiong Y W, Zou H L, Ye Z, Zhang X, Kuang D, Li Y J. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2025, 35: 2414892

[66] Du J Y, Jin F, Li Y J, Jiang G P, Jin Z L. J. Mater. Chem. A, 2025, 13: 4994

[67] Fu C H, Li D, Zhang J W, Guo W, Yang H, Zhao B, Chen Z M, Fu X, Liang Z Q, Jiang L. Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2023, 39: 891

[68] Luo L, Liu X, Ma S, Li L, You T. Food Chem., 2020, 322: 126778

[69] Wang X, Dong S, Qi K, Popkov V, Xiang X. Acta Phys.-Chim. Sin., 2024, 40: 2408005.

[70] Jiang Z, Long Q, Cheng B, He R, Wang L. J. Mater. Sci. Tech., 2023, 162: 1

[71] Zhang X, Xie X, Wang H, Zhang J, Xie Y. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2012, 135: 18

[72] Lei Y, Ye J, García-Antón J, Liu H. Chinese J. Catal., 2023, 53: 30.

[73] Li F, Zhu G, Jiang J, Yang L, Deng F, Arramel, Li X. J. Mater. Sci. Tech., 2024, 177: 142

[74] Liu C, Gao T, Wang G, Cheng Q, Wang K. Chem. Res. Chinese Universities, 2025, 41: 726

[75] Li X, Jiang H, Ma C, Zhu Z, Song X, Wang H, Huo P, Li X. Appl. Catal. B-Environ., 2021, 283: 119638

[76] Wang Q, Ye K, Xu L, Hu W, Li Y. Chem. Commun. (Camb.), 2019, 55: 14801

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Jilin University, The Editorial Department of Chemical Research in Chinese Universities and Springer-Verlag GmbH

Just Accepted

This article has successfully passed peer review and final editorial review, and will soon enter typesetting, proofreading and other publishing processes. The currently displayed version is the accepted final manuscript. The officially published version will be updated with format, DOI and citation information upon launch. We recommend that you pay attention to subsequent journal notifications and preferentially cite the officially published version. Thank you for your support and cooperation.