Conductive Polymer-Inorganic Polythiophene/Cd0.5Zn0.5S Heterojunction with Apace Charge Separation and Strong Light Absorption for Boosting Photocatalytic Activity

In order to utilize the synergistic effect between a conductive polymer and an inorganic semiconductor to efficaciously enhance charge transfer and solve the problem of unsatisfactory performance of a single photocatalyst, thiophene (Th) was polymerized on the Cd_0.5Zn_0.5S nanoparticle surface to prepare a conductive polymer-inorganic polythiophene/Cd_0.5Zn_0.5S (PTh/CZS) heterostructrue through a simple in situ oxidation polymerization for the first time. The as-prepared PTh/CZS heterostructures significantly improved photocatalytic TCH degradation and hydrogen production activities. Especially, the 15PTh/CZS sample exhibited the optimal hydrogen production rate (18.45 mmol g^-1 h^-1), which was 2.51 times higher than pure Cd_0.5Zn_0.5S nanoparticles. In addition, 15PTh/CZS also showed very fast and efficient photodegradation ability for degrading 88% of TCH in 25 min. Moreover, the degradation rate (0.06229 min^-1) was five times more than that of Cd_0.5Zn_0.5S. The π-π* transition characteristics, high optical absorption coefficient, wide absorption wavelength of PTh, the tight contact interface, and synergistic effect of PTh and Cd_0.5Zn_0.5S efficiently boosted charge transfer rate and increased the light absorption of PTh/CZS photocatalysts, which greatly enhanced the photocatalytic abilities. Besides, the mechanism of improved photocatalytic activities for TCH degradation and H₂ production was also carefully proposed. Undoubtedly, this work would provide new insights into coupling conductive polymers to inorganic photocatalysts for achieving multifunctional applications in the field of photocatalysis.