Bifunctional CdS photocatalyst with isolated active sites for simultaneous H₂ generation and antibiotic removal

Photocatalysis offers a promising solution to global energy and environmental challenges. Combing pollution degradation reaction with the water-splitting hydrogen production system is of great significant to take full use of electrons and holes, but it faces challenges in the exploration of catalysts with high performance and clear reaction pathways. In this work, we reported a CdS/MoS₂/MnO₂ (CdS_x/Mo/Mn_y) ternary hybrid with clearly defined spatial position by introducing MoS₂ and MnO₂ on CdS nanorods through the combination of chemical occupying strategy with the photo-deposition method. When reacted in a TC solution with the absence of cocatalyst nor sacrificial agent, a hydrogen evolution rate of 1.06 mmol/g/h coupled with simultaneous 96.8% degradation of TC can be reached on the optimized CdS₁/Mo/Mn₄₅ composite. The formation of spatially isolated yet uniformly distributed reaction centers contributes most to the realization of high performance dual functional photocatalytic reaction, which providing dedicated regions for redox processes while optimizing inter-site distance to minimize charge recombination. This study presents a novel strategy for designing highly active dual-function photocatalysts capable of efficient simultaneous oxidation and reduction reactions, demonstrating great potential for synergistic energy and environmental applications.