Tungsten oxide quantum dots deposited onto ultrathin CdIn2S4 nanosheets for efficient S-scheme photocatalytic CO2 reduction via cascade charge transfer

A novel S-scheme photocatalytic heterojunction composite nanomaterial is developed by integrating zero-dimensional WO3 quantum dots (WQDs) on two-dimensional ultrathin CdIn2S4 (CIS) nanosheets with the aim of fostering carrier separation, enhancing the performance of carrier interface transport, minimizing carrier distance transport, and achieving effective photocatalytic CO2 reduction. The composite photocatalyst WQDs/CdIn2S4 (WCIS) allows for the efficient photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO and CH4, as shown by product analysis and isotopic measurement. The photogenerated electrons in WQDs recombine with the holes in CIS nanosheets, and the left electrons in CIS have stronger CO2 reduction abilities. The highest yields of CO and CH4 achieved with the WCIS photocatalyst are 8.2 and 1.6 μmol g-1h−1 ––2.6 and 8 times higher than those for CIS, respectively. Moreover, the S-scheme WCIS possesses a stable crystal structure and recycling ability. Finally, the S-scheme charge transfer path on the WCIS composite is proposed according to theoretical calculation, in-situ irradiated X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance (ESR) analyses.