Synergistic Interface Nanoarchitectonics in InP-NBOC/Mo-CN Ternary Composites for Efficient Photocatalytic NO Oxidation with Ultralow NO2 Byproduct Generation

The substantial presence of nitrogen oxides (NO and NO 2 ) in outdoor environments detrimentally impacts natural ecosystems and exerts significant influence on urban climates. Conventional NO x treatment methods frequently suffer from challenges such as harsh reaction conditions and high energy consumption. Consequently, the development of advanced photocatalytic systems to efficiently degrade NO x while minimizing the formation of toxic byproducts represents a critical challenge in environmental catalysis. In this study, a novel ternary composite material (5% Mo-CN/InP-NBOC) was constructed via hydrothermal synthesis and surface modification strategies, achieving 42% NO oxidation efficiency under visible light irradiation with a mere 0.9% NO 2 generation rate. This performance demonstrates efficient photocatalytic NO oxidation while effectively suppressing NO 2 production. Systematic characterization techniques, including XRD, TEM, and XPS, confirmed the successful integration of InP quantum dots (5–10 nm) and amorphous Mo-CN onto NBOC nanosheets, forming an intimate heterojunction structure. PL and ESR analyses revealed that Mo-CN enhances charge carrier separation and governs the NO oxidation process through the activation of dual free radical pathways (⋅O 2 − and ⋅OH). This work establishes a “quantum dot-primary catalyst-cocatalyst” ternary collaborative design paradigm, providing experimental evidence and theoretical models to address the challenges of synergistic optimization among activity, selectivity, and stability in photocatalytic NO x treatment.