Facile synthesis of C3N4/NiIn2S4 heterostructure with novel solar steam evaporation efficiency and photocatalytic H2O2 production performance

Using solar energy to obtain valuable fresh water through interface evaporation is a promising environmentally friendly technology. However, the organic pollutants in wastewater may cause potential water safety hazards. The removal of organic pollutants by H2O2 in-situ generated photocatalytically is an effective means to achieve water purification. In this work, a simple method is proposed for the controllable synthesis of C3N4/NiIn2S4 heterojunction, by which can be achieved both the efficient evaporation of the solar interface and the photocatalytic production of H2O2. The evaporation rate and solar evaporation efficiency of C3N4/NiIn2S4 reach up to 3.25 kg·m−2·h−1 and 215.06%, respectively, under the irradiation of one sun (1 kW·m−2). Furthermore, C3N4/NiIn2S4 heterojunction exhibits an excellent photocatalytic H2O2 production activity of 1080 μmol−1·L−1·h−1. This study provides a facile and attractive strategy for the design of photothermal materials and photocatalysts with efficient interfacial evaporation and sewage purification, especially for complex sewage samples.