Revealing Electron Transfer Dynamics in a ZnIn2S4/PDA S-scheme Photocatalyst via Fs-TAS

Chenrui Hu; Songyu Yang; Bowen He; Bei Cheng; Haiyan Tan; Jianjun Zhang; Jiaguo Yu

doi:10.1007/s12209-026-00487-z

Transactions of Tianjin University ›› :1 -13. DOI: 10.1007/s12209-026-00487-z

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Revealing Electron Transfer Dynamics in a ZnIn₂S₄/PDA S-scheme Photocatalyst via Fs-TAS

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¹Laboratory of Solar Fuel, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, 430078, Wuhan, China

²State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, 430070, Wuhan, China

³Hubei Key Laboratory of Biologic Resources Protection and Utilization, School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Hubei Minzu University, 445000, Enshi, China

^a zhangjianjun@cug.edu.cn

^b yujiaguo93@cug.edu.cn

Jianjun Zhang

Jianjun Zhang is an Associate Professor at the Laboratory of Solar Fuel, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences. His research primarily focuses on utilizing femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy to reveal ultrafast photogenerated charge dynamics within semiconductor heterojunctions. He was selected as a High-Level Talent in Hubei Province. He has published over 100 papers in high-impact SCI journals such as Nat. Comm., Adv. Mater., JACS and Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. His work has garnered over 12,000 SCI citations, with a H-index of 52.

Jiaguo Yu

Jiaguo Yu received his B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry from the Central China Normal University and Xi'an Jiaotong University, respectively and PhD in Materials Science from the Wuhan University of Technology (WUT). His research interests include semiconductor photocatalysis, photocatalytic hydrogen production, CO₂ reduction, perovskite solar cells, and electrocatalysis. He is Foreign Member of Academia Europaea (2020) and Foreign Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences (2020). He obtained the 35th Khwarizmi International Award (2022). His name is also in the lists of Highly Cited Researchers from Clarivate Analytics (previously Thomson Reuters) in Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering from 2014–2023.

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Abstract

Single-component ZnIn₂S₄ (ZIS) exhibits rapid charge recombination, resulting in low photocatalytic efficiency. To address this issue, the construction of an S-scheme heterojunction is a feasible strategy. Herein, a ZIS/dopamine (PDA) S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst was successfully fabricated by depositing PDA onto the surface of ZIS nanoflowers. The optimized ZIS/PDA composite shows a significantly improved H₂ production rate compared to pure ZIS and PDA. In situ irradiated X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provides steady-state spectral evidence of S-scheme electron transfer from ZIS to PDA upon photoexcitation. Furthermore, transient spectral evidence for the ZIS/PDA S-scheme heterojunction is revealed via femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. Analysis of the charge dynamics in the ZIS component identifies an additional ultrafast lifetime component in the ZIS/PDA composites. This newly identified component is primarily attributable to the S-scheme interfacial electron transfer channel. The S-scheme electron transfer process gradually accelerates with increasing PDA concentration, ultimately reaching an optimal interfacial electron transfer lifetime of 0.9 ps. This ultrafast electron transfer dynamics facilitates the participation of photogenerated charge carriers in photocatalytic H₂ evolution. Overall, this study provides new insights into the transient spectral analysis of S-scheme photocatalysts.

Keywords

S-scheme heterojunction / Photocatalysis / Transient absorption spectroscopy / Electron transfer dynamics / Interfacial electron transfer

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Chenrui Hu, Songyu Yang, Bowen He, Bei Cheng, Haiyan Tan, Jianjun Zhang, Jiaguo Yu. Revealing Electron Transfer Dynamics in a ZnIn₂S₄/PDA S-scheme Photocatalyst via Fs-TAS. Transactions of Tianjin University 1-13 DOI:10.1007/s12209-026-00487-z

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