Low-temperature hydrothermal self-assembly synthesis of ZnIn2S4/chitosan-graphene aerogels for enhanced aqueous pollutants removal

A novel visible-light-responsive ZnIn 2 S 4 /chitosan graphene aerogel (ZCGA) was prepared using a low-temperature hydrothermal self-assembly method for the adsorption and degradation of tetracycline. Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated interactions between ZnIn 2 S 4 and chitosan graphene aerogel (CGA). Under the irradiation of a 500 W xenon lamp, ZCGA exhibited excellent adsorption and photocatalytic degradation performance for tetracycline, with a removal rate exceeding 90 % within 180 min. This significant performance improvement is attributed to the high carrier transport properties of CGA, which greatly enhanced the activity of the photocatalytic reaction and also showed high efficiency in removing other types of organic pollutants. Radical trapping experiments further confirmed that the superoxide anion (·O 2 − ) is the main active species in the photocatalytic process. In addition, the monolithic aerogel has good recyclability and mechanical stability. This study not only demonstrates the great potential of ZCGA in the field of photocatalysis but also provides new ideas for designing efficient, recyclable, and visible light-responsive photocatalysts.