Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (9): 100104.doi: 10.1016/j.actphy.2025.100104

Special Issue: S-scheme heterojunction in photocatalysis

• ARTICLE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Improving hydrogen peroxide photosynthesis over inorganic/organic S-scheme photocatalyst with LiFePO4

Jingping Li, Suding Yan*(), Jiaxi Wu, Qiang Cheng, Kai Wang*()   

  1. College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Huangshi Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Soil Pollution, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi 435002, Hubei Province, China
  • Received:2025-04-01 Revised:2025-05-05 Accepted:2025-05-11 Published:2025-07-04
  • Contact: Email: yansd@hbnu.edu.cn (Suding Yan)wangkai@hbnu.edu.cn (Kai Wang)
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22378104); Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(2025AFA093); Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(2022CFB504); Outstanding Youth Science and Technology Innovation Team in Hubei Province(T2023021)

Abstract:

With the rapid development of new energy industries, the utilization of waste batteries has attracted the attention of researchers. Developing a hydrogen peroxide photosynthesis system with battery recycling materials as photocatalysts presents a significant challenge. In this study, an ultrasonic self-assembly technique is employed to integrate LiFePO4 (LFPO) nanoparticles, derived from spent batteries, with g-C3N4 (CN) nanosheets, thereby creating an inorganic/organic S-scheme photocatalyst for the production of H2O2. In situ analyses using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) demonstrate that the interaction between LFPO and CN facilitates the development of an internal electric field (IEF), which in turn gives rise to a distinctive S-scheme charge transfer mechanism. Combining electron spin resonance spectroscopy, radical-trapping experiments, and in situ DRIFTS spectra, three pathways for H2O2 formation are identified. Benefited from enhanced carrier separation, strong redox power, and multichannel H2O2 formation, the optimal composite shows an impressive H2O2-production rate of 3.22 mol∙g−1∙h−1 under simulated solar irradiation. This research provides a potential method to investigate a sustainable H2O2 photosynthesis pathway by designing S-scheme heterojunctions from spent battery materials.

Key words: Photocatalysis, H2O2 production, Inorganic/organic heterojunction, Battery-based catalyst, S-scheme mechanism