Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Cs4PbBr6/WS2 Hybrid Nanocomposite

Abstract

Photocatalytic processes are among the prime means for mitigating the pollution caused by toxic effluents. In this context, photocatalysis presents a promising path and is undergoing rapid evolution. Halide perovskite‐nanocrystals (HP‐NCs) are excellent candidates due to their negative conduction band minimum and low work function, essential for photocatalysis. Yet, HP‐NCs face limitations within this domain because they are prone to chemical degradation when exposed to external factors like high temperature, polar solvents, oxygen, and light. A practical approach toward stabilizing HP‐NCs involves hybridizing them with a chemically inert material that can provide steric stabilization and act as a cocatalyst. Transition‐metal dichalcogenides emerge as outstanding candidates to sterically stabilize the HPs as they are stable, chemically inert, and can serve as co‐catalysts, enabling suppressed charge recombination. Herein, the photocatalytic performance of Cs4PbBr6/WS2‐nanocomposites towards organic dye degradation in polar solvents under visible light illumination is investigated. We found that the presence of WS2 nanostructures significantly stabilizes the HP‐NCs and promotes dye degradation rate compared to pristine Cs4PbBr6‐NCs. Using transient absorption measurements, we found that the WS2‐nanostructures act as an electron transport channel, effectively reducing charge recombination in the NCs. These findings pave the way for implementing Cs4PbBr6/WS2‐nanocomposites as stable and superior photocatalysts.