Hollow defective molybdenum dioxide@Nickel-Iron layered double hydroxide core-shell S-scheme heterojunction towards optimized photothermal-photocatalytic performance

S-scheme heterojunctions have garnered significant attention in the field of solar energy conversion, predominantly owing to their profound ability to facilitate charge carrier transfer and enhance photocatalytic activity. In this study, we introduce a novel hollow molybdenum dioxide containing oxygen vacancies@Nickel-Iron layered double hydroxide (MoO 2 -OV@NiFe-LDH) S-scheme heterostructure, designed to achieve effective charge separation and thereby enhance photothermal-photocatalytic performance. The photocatalytic hydrogen production efficiency under visible light is enhanced by a factor of 10.15 relative to pristine molybdenum dioxide (MoO 2 ). Additionally, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency for tetracycline is improved by 21.5 % compared to Nickel-Iron layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH). These enhancements are attributed to the S-scheme carrier transport pathways and a significant photothermal effect, as substantiated by diverse characterization tests and theoretical calculations. The S-scheme heterojunction promotes electron-hole separation, augments carrier transport, and enhances photo-oxidative reduction capabilities. This research presents an innovative approach for fabricating S-scheme heterojunctions with unique architectures that significantly improve photothermal and photocatalytic efficiencies.