Engineering CdIn2S4/g-C3N4 heterostructures for enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction and wastewater purification

Photocatalysis, which represents a clean and efficient energy conversion technology, shows great potential for addressing both environmental pollution and the energy crisis. Within this context, photocatalytic CO 2 reduction and pollutant degradation represent important research directions. In this study, CdIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4 (g-C 3 N 4 , graphitic carbon nitride) composites were hydrothermally synthesized and assessed for their photocatalytic performance in the reduction of CO 2 and the degradation of methyl orange and tetracycline as model pollutants. Among the synthesized composites, the optimal photocatalytic activity was achieved by the CdIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4 (80) composite, with the degradation efficiency for methyl orange reaching 97.21% over 100 min and the reduction efficiency for CO 2 reaching 74.34 μmol g −1 over 4 h. The obtained results demonstrated that the heterojunction formed between CdIn 2 S 4 and g-C 3 N 4 effectively promoted the separation of photogenerated charge carriers while effectively suppressing their recombination, thereby improving the photocatalytic performance. Moreover, a cyclic stability experiment demonstrated that the CdIn 2 S 4 /g-C 3 N 4 composite exhibited excellent recyclability, which is important for its practical application. This work therefore provides a promising strategy for the design of highly efficient and stable photocatalysts toward sustainable environmental remediation and energy conversion.