Surface domain potential difference-mediated efficient charge separation on a defective ZnIn2S4 microsphere photocatalyst

Low-efficiency charge separation in metal sulfides is a major obstacle to realizing high photocatalytic performance. Herein, we propose the concept of a similar surface domain potential difference between adjacent microdomains with and without surface S vacancies on ZnIn2S4 to mediate charge separation. Defective ZnIn2S4 microspheres (DZISNPs) are prepared through a solvothermal method combined with a low-temperature hydrogenation surface engineering strategy. The as-prepared DZISNPs with a narrowed bandgap of 2.38 eV possess a large specific surface area of 178.5 m2 g−1, a pore size of 6.89 nm, and a pore volume of 0.36 cm3 g−1, which further improves the visible light absorption. The resultant DZISNPs exhibit excellent visible light activity (2.15 mmol h−1 g−1), which is ∼two-fold higher than that of the original DZISNP. The experimental results and DFT calculations reveal that the enhanced property can be a result of the surface S vacancy-induced surface domain potential difference, promoting the spatial separation of electrons and holes. Furthermore, the long-term stability of the DZISNPs indicates that the formation of surface S vacancies can inhibit the photocorrosion of ZnIn2S4. This strategy provides new insights for fabricating highly efficient and stable sulfide photocatalysts.