We fabricated a multidimensional heterostructured In2S3–CuInS2 photocatalyst to convert CO2 to CO. The hybrid photocatalyst can be obtained by using an In-containing MOF as a precursor followed by sulfidation and ion exchange. Moreover, the multidimensional structure, a 2D nanosheet semiconductor distributed on 1D hollow nanotubes, inhibits the recombination of charge carriers, increases CO2 adsorption and affords a large surface area promoting exposure of plentiful active sites. As a result, the as-synthesized optimal heterostructured In2S3–CuInS2 display a excellent activity with the CO evolution rate of 19.00 μmol g−1 h−1 over the under visible light irradiation, which is roughly four times higher than that of pristine In2S3. This work might pave the way for increasing the performance of metal sulphide photocatalysts by MOF-guided chemistry.
The synthesis of the accurate composition and morphological/structural design of multielement semiconductor materials is considered an effective strategy for obtaining high-performance hybrid photocatalysts. Herein, sulfur vacancy (Vs)-bearing In2S3/CuInS2microflower heterojunctions (denoted Vs-In2S3/CuInS2) were formed in situ using In2S3microsphere template-directed synthesis and a metal ion exchange-mediated growth strategy. Photocatalysts with flower-like microspheres can be obtained using hydrothermally synthesized In2S3microspheres as a template, followed by Ostwald ripening growth during the metal cation exchange of Cu+and In3+. The optimal heterostructured Vs-In2S3/CuInS2microflowers exhibited CO and CH4evolution rates of 80.3 and 11.8 μmol g−1h−1, respectively, under visible-light irradiation; these values are approximately 4 and 6.8 times higher than those reported for pristine In2S3, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of the Vs-In2S3/CuInS2catalysts could be attributed to the synergistic effects of the following factors: (i) the constructed heterojunctions accelerate charge-carrier separation; (ii) the flower-like microspheres exhibit highly uniform morphologies and compositions, which enhance electron transport and light harvesting; and (iii) the vs. may trap excited electrons and, thus, inhibit charge-carrier recombination. This study not only confirms the feasibility of the design of heterostructures on demand, but also presents a simple and efficient strategy to engineer metal sulfide photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic performance.