ZnSnO₃ Quantum Dot/Perylene Diimide Supramolecular Nanorod Heterojunction Photocatalyst for Efficient Phenol Degradation

A stable 0D/1D photocatalyst constructed by ZnSnO3 quantum dots (QDs) and perylene diimide (PDI) supramolecular nanorods was successfully achieved via a simple in situ deposited method through an electrostatic attraction build-up strategy and exhibited marvel phenol degradation efficiency under visible-light irradiation. By engineering controllable 0D/1D hetero-interfaces, on the one hand, most of the light absorption sites from the PDI component remained exposed and, on the other hand, efficient interfacial charge transfer driven by a giant built-in electric field between the two components successfully led to great enhancement in charge separation. Importantly, besides the evidenced excellent structure and morphology stability, suppressed production of PDI·– after forming the heterostructure was also proved to be responsible for its robust cyclic photocatalytic activity. This stable and efficient visible-light-driven photocatalyst showed great development potential for removal of phenol pollutants with low concentrations.