Enhanced CeO2 oxygen defects decorated with AgInS2 quantum dots form an S-scheme heterojunction for efficient photocatalytic selective oxidation of xylose

S-scheme heterojunctions have become an emerging type of effective photocatalysts to convert biomass. However, there are few reports on the synergistic S-type heterojunction and oxygen vacancy enhanced photocatalytic biomass conversion . Here, an AgInS 2 @CeO 2 -x S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst with abundant oxygen vacancies was developed through a simple thermal and mild annealing process, allowing for the simultaneous production of xylonic acid and CO. Under visible light , the xylonic acid yield and CO evolution rate reached 60.0% and 3689.9 μmol g −1 h −1 , respectively, through the decomposition of xylose . It was found that the S-scheme staggered band structure could improve sunlight utilization, increase the reduction power of photogenerated electrons, and enhance the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers. Furthermore, oxygen vacancies on the surface of CeO 2 for AgInS 2 @CeO 2 -x heterojunction can suppress the recombination of generated electrons and holes. This study offers a promising approach for designing artificial photosynthetic systems to promote photocatalytic biomass conversion .