ZnIn2S4 Quantum Dot/Mo-Doped WO2.72 Nanowire Heterojunctions Boost the Photocatalytic Desulfurization of Diesel

Photocatalytic aerobic oxidation desulfurization (PAODS) has emerged as a sustainable means for the desulfurization of fuels, which is, however, limited by the low efficiency of electron–hole separation in currently available catalytic systems. In this study, we report the design and synthesis of a ZnIn2S4 quantum dot (QD)/Mo-doped WO2.72 nanowire 0D/1D Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst for the PAODS of thiophenic sulfides. We elucidate that the incorporated Mo sites facilitate the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect for the generation of hot electrons and also act as high-activity sites for sulfide oxidation. The integration of ZnIn2S4 QDs improves the adsorption of visible light and facilitates the separation of electron–hole pairs. The photocatalyst demonstrates outstanding activity with a mass specific activity of 3.91 mmol g–1 h–1. In particular, it successfully achieves the deep desulfurization of real diesel, effectively reducing the sulfur content to 9.4 ppm, which suggests its appealing practical potential. These findings offer valuable insights, both from a scientific and practical perspective, to develop high-performance photocatalysts for sustainable PAODS processes.