Construction of Hollow TiO2/ZnS Heterojunction Photocatalysts for Highly Enhanced Photodegradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride

TiO₂ photocatalysts exhibit great potential in solar fuel production and environmental remediation, yet their practical applications are often hindered by high electron-hole recombination rates. This study presents a novel strategy for fabricating hollow anatase TiO₂-modified ZnS heterostructures (TiO₂/ZnS) via a simple hydrothermal method. The heterostructure effectively combines the high electron mobility of ZnS, which facilitates rapid photogenerated electron transfer, with the high specific surface area of hollow TiO_2, which enhances pollutant adsorption. As a result, TiO₂/ZnS demonstrates superior tetracycline degradation efficiency due to optimized charge separation and improved accessibility to reactive sites, compared to pristine TiO₂ and ZnS. Furthermore, the enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to efficient charge separation facilitated by Type-II heterojunctions between ZnS and anatase TiO₂. Cycling tests reveal that TiO₂/ZnS retains over 94% of its activity after 5 cycles. This work offers a versatile approach for stabilizing metal oxides through heterostructure engineering, with significant implications for scalable environmental catalysis.