Hot Electron‐Assisted Noble‐Metal‐Free Synergistic Photothermal Catalyst for Solar‐Driven Wastewater Remediation and Microbial Disinfection

The escalating challenge of water contamination by recalcitrant organic pollutants and pathogens calls for sustainable, solar-powered technologies that operate without external energy or chemical inputs. Such systems require multifunctional materials capable of harvesting broad-spectrum sunlight to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) for simultaneous degradation and disinfection. Conventional photocatalysts are hindered by their limited spectral absorption and rapid charge recombination, which restricts their practical efficacy in real-world applications. To overcome these challenges, we engineered a hybrid Bi₂Te₃@CdS nanostructure incorporated into a porous polyurethane (PU) foam scaffold, facilitating synergistic photothermal and thermocatalytic efficacy under comprehensive solar illumination. The hybrid architecture facilitates effective separation of photogenerated charge carriers, markedly diminishing recombination losses and augmenting the production of ROS, such as •O₂ ^-, •OH, and H₂O₂. Concurrently, Bi₂Te₃ functions as a thermoelectric absorber that effectively transforms NIR-induced heat into catalytic activation energy, thereby enhancing degradation kinetics. This dual-mode activation causes organic pollutants (such as dyes and pesticides) to mineralize quickly and inactivate E. coli and S. aureus with >99% photothermal assistance. High photostability and reusability enable the material to maintain its activity over multiple cycles without appreciable degradation. By synergistically integrating broadband solar harvesting, efficient ROS generation, and thermocatalytic activation, this study presents an energy-autonomous strategy for water remediation and sustained antimicrobial defense, offering significant potential for public health benefits.