articleNature WaterMar 2, 2026HYBRID OA

Steering charge transfer in CuInS2/BiOCl composites to enable sunlight-driven C–F bond cleavage of PFAS in water

Qingdao University · Shandong University of Science and Technology · +13 more institutions

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Abstract

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) resist most remediation technologies because of their exceptionally inert carbon–fluorine bonds. Here we report a visible-light Z-scheme photocatalyst composed of CuInS 2 quantum dots anchored on BiOCl nanoplates (CuInS 2 /BiOCl) that overcomes this barrier. Femtosecond transient absorption, steady-state spectroscopy and theoretical calculations show that an internal electric field steers photo-generated electrons (e − ) migrating to CuInS 2 and holes (h + ) to BiOCl, maximizing their redox potentials for simultaneous carbon–fluorine scission and carbon chain breakage, respectively. Computations revealed that benzene sulfonic acid and carbon fluoride groups…

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