In-situ construct CuInS/Bi/BiMoO S-scheme/Schottky dual heterojunctions catalyst for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of diclofenac sodium.

In this paper, the S-scheme/Schottky heterojunction photocatalyst (CuInS/Bi/BiMoO, CIS/Bi/BMO) was successfully constructed via a facile in-situ solvothermal method, aimed at enhancing its photocatalytic performance. The results of the study on the photocatalytic degradation of diclofenac sodium (DCF) under simulated solar light irradiation revealed that the as-prepared composite exhibited remarkable catalytic efficiency in comparison to the pristine BiMoO and CuInS. The plasmonic bismuth (Bi) was formed during the solvothermal process. Subsequently, CuInS and Bi were grown on the surface of BiMoO leading to forming CIS/BMO S-scheme heterojunction, along with a Schottky junction between Bi and BiMoO. The use of ethylene glycol as a support was the main reason for the significant improvement in photocatalytic efficiency in the degradation of DCF. Moreover, the probable photocatalytic mechanisms for the degradation of DCF had been proposed based on the active species quenching experiments. The eleven degradation products were detected by HPLC-MS, and the degradation reaction pathway of DCF was deduced. Additionally, the CIS/Bi/BMO photocatalyst exhibited a consistently high removal rate after four cycles. This study proposes a new strategy for designing efficient S-scheme/Schottky heterojunction photocatalysts for solar energy conversion.