Enhancing the Photocatalytic Performance of Antibiotics Using a Z-Scheme Heterojunction of 0D ZnInS Quantum Dots and 3D Hierarchical Inverse Opal TiO.

Limited light absorption and rapid photo-generated carriers' recombination pose significant challenges to the practical applications of photocatalysts. In this study, we employed an efficient approach by combining the slow-photon effect with Z-scheme charge transfer to enhance the photo-degradation performance of antibiotics. Specifically, we incorporated 0D ZnInS quantum dots (QDs) into a 3D hierarchical inverse opal (IO) TiO structure through a facile one-step process. This combination enhanced the visible light absorption and provided abundant active surfaces for efficient photo-degradation. Moreover, the ZnInS QDs formed an artificial Z-scheme system with IO-TiO, facilitating the separation and migration of charge carriers. To achieve a better band alignment with IO-TiO, we doped Ag into the ZnInS QDs (Ag: ZIS QDs) to adjust their energy levels. Through an investigation of the different Ag contents in the ZnInS QDs, we found that the optimal photo-degradation performance was achieved with Ag (2.0): ZIS QDs/IO-TiO, exhibiting degradation rates 19.5 and 14.8 times higher than those of ZnInS QDs and IO-TiO, respectively. This study provides significant insights for elevating the photocatalytic capabilities of IO-TiO and broadening its prospective applications.