Bioinspired forest-like Z-scheme heterojunction of TiO2-ZnIn2S4 for bifunctional photocatalytic solar fuel generation and antibacterial properties

Bifunctional catalysts for simultaneous solar fuel generation and antibacterial properties have gained increasing attention in the energy and environmental field. However, their practical implementation is still limited by the challenges in recovery and the instability of the photocatalysts. The development of a self-standing substrate-formed photocatalyst provides a promising solution to this issue. In this study, we developed a self-standing bioinspired forest-like Z-scheme heterojunction of TiO 2 -ZnIn 2 S 4 (ZIS) on carbon cloth (CC) for bifunctional photocatalysis. The optimized CC-TiO 2 -ZIS showed remarkable solar fuel production via photocatalytic CO 2 reduction (PCR) and demonstrated recycling stability in a portable photocatalytic system using negligible solution. Moreover, the forest-like morphology possesses a mechanical cutting effect against invasive microorganisms. Specifically, CC-TiO 2 -ZIS achieved an impressive 98.35 ​% inhibition rate against E. coli within 5 ​min of illumination and a superior CO generation of 317.37 ​μmol ​h −1 ​m −2 , which was higher than pristine CC, CC-TiO 2 , and CC-ZIS. This innovative bioinspired forest-like CC-TiO 2 -ZIS holds significant promise for future solar-driven energy conversion and environmental remediation.