Novel Sb₂S₃‐3,4,9,10‐Perylene Tetracarboxylic Acid Composite for Enhanced Photocatalytic Reduction of Cr(VI) in Aqueous Media

Abstract The construction of organic‐inorganic semiconductor heterojunctions is an important way to improve the photocatalytic performance of semiconductors and inhibit the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. In this paper, a novel Sb₂S₃‐3,4,9,10‐perylene tetracarboxylic acid (Sb 2 S 3 ‐PTCA) heterojunction was prepared by hydrothermal method. Compared with Sb 2 S 3 and PTCA, Sb 2 S 3 ‐PTCA composite catalyst had better photocatalytic reduction ability for Cr(VI) in aqueous solution under visible light conditions. The optimized Sb 2 S 3 ‐1.0 wt.% PTCA heterostructures exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pure Sb₂S₃ and PTAC, achieving a complete Cr(VI) reduction rate of 100 % in just 50 min. This will lead to cleaner effluent water being discharged into the environment, thereby reducing pollution and protecting aquatic ecosystems. The enhanced photocatalytic efficacy exhibited by the Sb 2 S 3 ‐PTCA heterostructure stems from the creation of a type II heterojunction, which facilitates a more proficient dissociation and transportation of the electron‐hole pairs, thus contributing to its superior performance.