Dipole synergy enables fast directional charge transport for solar hydrogen and benzaldehyde coproduction

Artificial photosynthesis for hydrogen evolution coupled with benzyl alcohol photoreforming faces efficiency challenges due to insufficient charge directional transfer. Here, we report a synergistic strategy integrating the polarization electric field from asymmetric Zn3In4S9 and the interface dipole field induced by MoS2 to drive fast charge dynamics. The optimized 6%-MoS2/Zn3In4S9 exhibits notable photocatalytic performance, generating 41.19 mmol g-1 h-1 of hydrogen and 43.33 mmol g-1 h-1 of benzaldehyde, which is 11.8 to 12.2 times higher than that of Zn3In4S9. Notably, apparent quantum yields reach 36.6% ± 0.7% for hydrogen and 40.0% ± 0.3% for benzaldehyde (3 times), while retaining 93.8% and 87% of initial activity after 30 hours, demonstrating high stability. In this work, we reveal that the intrinsic dipole of Zn3In4S9 generates a polarization electric field, suppressing bulk charge recombination. Concurrently, the MoS2-induced interface dipole field creates a fast electron transport pathway from Zn3In4S9 to MoS2. This work demonstrates how engineered dipole synergy between two semiconductor materials creates efficient charge transport pathways, enabling simultaneous production of clean hydrogenand high-value chemicals from solar energy.