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• 0D CuInS 2 enhanced the photocatalytic performance of 2D NiAl-LDH. • Large BET surface and efficient separation of photo-induced electron-hole pairs. • A band matching within the n-n junction for efficient internal charge transfer. 0D/2D interface heterostructure of 0D CuInS 2 and 2D NiAl-LDH were obtained via strong interfacial contact. Mott-Schottky analysis confirmed both materials were n-type feature. Thus, a staggered n-n heterojunction was formed via the balance of Fermi level. This 0D/2D composite exhibited enchantable activity for photocatalytic degradation 2,4-Dichlorophenol under visible-light illumination, far superior than pure CuInS 2 and NiAl-LDH. The improvement of photocatalytic performance mainly attributed to the large BET surface area and interfacial contact, which resulted in more active sites, effective charge separation and transfer. Moreover, the optimal CuInS 2 /NiAl-LDH composite showed higher photostability for cycle experiments. At the same, the possible photocatalytic reaction process was proposed based on the trapping experiments, ESR technique and band position. This work provided a theory and foundation for designing and preparing of 0D/2D heterostructure system for photocatalytic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Many recent advances in constructing green metal-free materials have opened new possibilities in catalysis. To explore and enhance the photocatalytic performance of g-C 3 N 4 quantum dots (CN QDs), the metal-free materials of CN QDs embedded in the h-BN was successfully synthesized by calcination the mixture of melamine and h-BN. The studies proved the CNBN has appeared red-shift due to the quantum size effect and 2D h-BN. The CN QDs were embedded into the h-BN could not only facilitate the separation and transfer, but also the h-BN terminated with OH groups could act as active sites, thus enhanced the photocatalytic performance. Moreover, this work may pave the way for the application of CN QDs and fabricate 2D h-BN composites for green metal-free materials in another field. Graphical abstract A free-metal composites for environmental pollution treatment. Unlabelled Image Highlights • A metal-free materials were synthesized by the one-pot green procedure. • The composites were exhibited red-shift for increasing light absorption. • The efficiency of electrons separation and transfer enhanced the lifetime of active species. • The OH groups acted as active sites further improved the photocatalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]