Work

Defective In 2 S 3 with Proton‐Enriched Interface Enable Sacrificial‐Agent‐Free Visible‐Light Photocatalytic H 2 O 2 Production

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Photocatalytic oxygen reduction provides a sustainable route for hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) production, but its practical implementation is impeded by ineffective O 2 activation and sluggish protonation kinetics. Here, a synergistic strategy combining defect engineering and interfacial microenvironment modulation is introduced to break these bottlenecks. Specifically, sulfur‐vacancy (S V )‐rich indium sulfide (In 2 S 3 ) grafted with polyethyleneimine (PEI) achieves a remarkable H 2 O 2 yield of 194.0 µ m h −1 under visible‐light in pure water, ≈33.4 times higher than that of pristine In 2 S 3 (5.8 µ m h −1 ). Experimental and theoretical results reveal that S V ‐induced low‐coordination In sites act as Lewis acid centers to stabilize end‐on O 2 adsorption and facilitate the generation of the critical •O 2 − intermediates. Surface‐grafted PEI substantially reduces the energy barrier for protonation of * •O 2 − to * OOH intermediates via an effective proton transfer process, favoring H 2 O 2 synthesis. By decoupling and optimizing O 2 activation and protonation dynamics, this work establishes a mechanism‐driven paradigm for rational design of high‐performance photocatalysts.

Source: Advanced Functional Materials

DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202516500

Authors: Dongdong Chu, Chao Xing, Dayu Sun, Shuzhou Li, Lan Ling

Institutions: Tongji University, Nanyang Technological University

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques

Subfield: Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Outstanding Youth Science Fund Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities