Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (10): 100237.doi: 10.1016/j.actphy.2026.100237

Special Issue: 2026 Special Issue of Acta Physico-Chimica Sinica: Emerging Scientists

• ARTICLE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Interface engineered Type-Ⅱ heterojunction ZnIn2S4/SCN for enhanced photocatalytic H2O2 synthesis from pure water

Yongkang Quan1,2, Ruidong Li4, Yunfei Yang1, Shuguo Ding1, Rongxing Chen1, Jianying Huang1,*(), Yun Hau Ng5,6,*(), Yuekun Lai1,2,3,*()   

  1. 1 College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, Fujian Province, China
    2 Qingyuan Innovation Laboratory, Quanzhou 362801, Fujian Province, China
    3 State Key Laboratory of New Textile Materials and Advanced Processing, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073, Hubei Province, China
    4 School of Chemical Engineering, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi Province, China
    5 School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 999077, Hong Kong, China
    6 Center for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies (CREST), Physical Science and Engineering (PSE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
  • Received:2025-11-18 Revised:2026-01-02 Accepted:2026-01-03 Published:2026-09-03
  • Contact: Email: jyhuang@fzu.edu.cn (Jianying Huang)yunhau.ng@cityu.edu.hk (Yun Hau Ng)yklai@fzu.edu.cn (Yuekun Lai)

Abstract:

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is widely utilised as a green chemical across numerous industries. Photocatalytic synthesis of H2O2 represents a highly promising green synthetic pathway. However, the application of single semiconductors is constrained by limitations in photogenerated charge separation and low photocatalytic reaction efficiency. Constructing heterojunctions to enhance interfacial electron transfer and improve charge separation is crucial for enhancing photocatalytic activity. Here, a two-step approach is employed to construct a Type-Ⅱ heterojunction ZnIn2S4/SCN, forming a directional and high-speed e-/h+ transport channel. The built-in electric field (BEF) provides the driving force for the transport and separation of e-/h+ at the interface. Thanks to a well-designed interface, the high recombination rate of photo-generated electron-hole pairs within a single photocatalyst and its relatively low photocatalytic activity have been effectively overcome. The ZnIn2S4/SCN heterojunction achieves a hydrogen peroxide yield of 257.0 μmol g-1 h-1 under air conditions via the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) mechanism in pure water medium, realising highly efficient photocatalytic H2O2 synthesis. Based on a heterojunction design, this study provides an important reference for the highly efficient photocatalytic synthesis of hydrogen peroxide.

Key words: Type-Ⅱ heterojunction, Interface, Photocatalysis, Hydrogen peroxide, Pure water