Zinc Indium Sulfide-Based Nanosheets for Fluid-Mechanical-Energy Driven Piezo-Photocatalytic Simultaneous Hydrogen Evolution and Biomass Valorization

Zinc indium sulfide (ZnIn₂S₄, ZIS) has recently attracted considerable attention for its potential in visible-light-driven photocatalysis. The hexagonal ZIS with a space group of P6₃mc features a non-centrosymmetric crystal structure and is classified as a piezoelectric material. This study explores the piezo-photocatalytic activity of ZIS-based nanosheets for simultaneous hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and biomass valorization. The piezoelectric characteristic of the ZIS-based nanosheets is characterized by piezopotential response measurement using piezoelectric force microscopy. Photocatalytic activities of the ZIS-based nanosheets for simultaneous HER and biomass valorization are enhanced under accelerated stirring. The piezoelectric polarization, driven by fluid-mechanical-energy stirring to ensure well-dispersed ZIS-based nanosheets in solution, plays a crucial role in enhancing photocatalytic activities of the ZIS-based nanosheets. The mechanism for the boosted piezo-photocatalytic activity of ZIS-based nanosheets will be discussed in the presentation.