Ternary heterogeneous Z-scheme photocatalyst TiO2/CuInS2/OCN incorporated with carbon quantum dots (CQDs) for enhanced photocatalytic degradation efficiency of reactive yellow 145 dye in water

Manh B Nguyen; Pham Thi Lan; Nguyen Tuan Anh; Nguyen Ngoc Tung; Shaoliang Guan; Valeska P Ting; T-Thanh-Bao Nguyen; Huan V Doan; Mai Thanh Tung; Tran Dai Lam

doi:10.1039/d3ra07546j

Ternary heterogeneous Z-scheme photocatalyst TiO₂/CuInS₂/OCN incorporated with carbon quantum dots (CQDs) for enhanced photocatalytic degradation efficiency of reactive yellow 145 dye in water

RSC Adv. 2023 Dec 5;13(50):35339-35348. doi: 10.1039/d3ra07546j. eCollection 2023 Nov 30.

Authors

Manh B Nguyen^{1

2}, Pham Thi Lan³, Nguyen Tuan Anh³, Nguyen Ngoc Tung⁴, Shaoliang Guan^{5

6

7}, Valeska P Ting^{8

9}, T-Thanh-Bao Nguyen¹⁰, Huan V Doan⁸, Mai Thanh Tung¹⁰, Tran Dai Lam³

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Chemistry (ICH), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay Hanoi Vietnam.
² Graduate University of Science and Technology (GUST), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay Hanoi Vietnam.
³ Institute for Tropical Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay Hanoi Vietnam trandailam@gmail.com.
⁴ Center for Research and Technology Transfer, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay Ha Noi Vietnam.
⁵ School of Chemistry, Cardiff University Cardiff CF10 3AT UK.
⁶ HarwellXPS, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Didcot OX11 0FA UK.
⁷ Institute of Physics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay Hanoi Viet Nam.
⁸ Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University AT 2601 Canberra Australia.
⁹ College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics, The Australian National University ACT 2601 Canberra Australia.
¹⁰ Hanoi University of Science and Technology 1 Dai Co Viet, Bach Khoa, Hai Ba Trung Hanoi Vietnam.

Abstract

This study delves into the advanced integration of a ternary heterogeneous Z-scheme photocatalyst, TiO₂/CuInS₂/OCN (OCN: O-g-C₃N₄), with carbon quantum dot (CQD) to improve the degradation efficiency of reactive yellow 145 (RY145) dye in water. Through a systematic examination, we elucidated the photocatalytic mechanisms and the role of radicals, electrons, and holes in the treatment process. Our findings revealed that this novel catalyst integration significantly boosted RY145 degradation efficiency, achieving 98.2%, which is markedly higher than the efficiencies which could be achieved using TiO₂/CuInS₂/OCN alone. Moreover, the TiO₂/CuInS₂/OCN/CQD photocatalyst demonstrated superior rate performance over its components. Comprehensive evaluations, including photoelectrochemical and radical tests, further confirmed the efficiency of the integrated system, adhering to Z-scheme principles. The catalyst showcased remarkable stability, with over 94% reusability after five reaction cycles. These findings pave the way for the potential use of the TiO₂/CuInS₂/OCN/CQD photocatalyst as an innovative solution for water pollutant treatment via photocatalytic technology.