Graphene Quantum Dots‐Decorated 2D CuInP<sub>2</sub>S<sub>6</sub> Nanosheets with Specially Enhanced Heterojunction‐Associated Photocatalytic Activity for High‐Performance Water Decontamination
The significant environmental challenges of dye‐contaminated wastewater necessitate efficient photocatalyst for pollutant degradation. Herein, a novel graphene quantum dots (GQDs) modified CuInP 2 S 6 composite (GQDs@CuInP 2 S 6 ) with a type‐II band alignment has been successfully synthesized via laser liquid phase melting technology. Under visible light, GQDs@CuInP 2 S 6 achieves 98.3% degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) within 8 min, exhibiting a kinetic rate constant 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than pristine CuInP 2 S 6 . Density functional theory calculations reveal this enhancement stems from unique electronic modulation of CuInP 2 S 6 by GQDs. Notably, irrespective of van der Waals or covalent GQDs‐CuInP 2 S 6 interactions, the composite transitions from pristine CuInP 2 S 6 's a indirect bandgap to a direct bandgap, with chemisorbed GQDs further narrowing the gap, which facilitates electron transition and broadens light absorption spectrum. Additionally, the band alignment and partial charge density confirm a type‐II heterojunction in chemisorbed GQDs@CuInP 2 S 6 . Holes from GQDs@CuInP 2 S 6 and electrons from CuInP 2 S 6 generate an internal electric field, suppressing charge carrier recombination and significantly enhancing photocatalytic performance. This work pioneers a synthesis approach for quantum dot‐decorated surface composite and theoretically elucidates the quantum dot modification mechanisms, advancing a new innovative photocatalytic material design.
Authors
- Xingqiu Yuan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6146-1260)
- Jiling Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9491-6647)
- Pu Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2899-1948)
- Yuhua Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4869-6671)
- Yangyi Yang
- Canwen Wang
- Shaowei Ho
Institutions
- Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ChemNanoMat
- Published
- 2025-07-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/cnma.202500162
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.36
Funders
- Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Province