Solvent-Directed Femtosecond Laser Ablation: Tuning Phase and Defect Engineering in Hybrid CdPS3/CdS Nanostructures

TL;DR

This paper introduces a solvent-directed femtosecond laser ablation method to engineer phase and defects in CdPS3/CdS nanostructures, significantly enhancing their visible-light photocatalytic activity for solar energy applications.

Contribution

It demonstrates a novel, scalable laser synthesis approach to control phase and defect states in layered ternary materials, improving their optoelectronic properties for photocatalysis.

Findings

Solvent choice directs phase transformation during laser ablation.

Hybrid nanostructures achieve ~90% dye degradation under visible light.

Laser engineering enhances charge separation efficiency.

Abstract

The limited visible-light absorption of wide-bandgap van der Waals crystals fundamentally restricts their utility in solar energy conversion. Here, we report a surfactant-free, solvent-directed laser synthesis strategy to engineer the phase and optoelectronic properties of Cadmium Phosphorus Trisulfide (CdPS3). By exploiting the non-equilibrium thermodynamics of femtosecond pulsed laser ablation in liquid (fs-PLAL), we demonstrate a tunable transition from the stoichiometric ternary phase to a highly active binary-rich heterostructure. While ablation in water preserves the monoclinic CdPS3 lattice, the reducing environment of isopropanol triggers the formation of CdS quantum dots and metallic cadmium defect sites. This solvent-induced phase engineering transforms the ultraviolet-active host into a robust visible-light photocatalyst. The resulting hybrid CdPS3/CdS nanocolloids exhibit superior charge separation efficiency, driven by Schottky-like metal-semiconductor junctions, achieving ~ 90% degradation of Methylene Blue under 532 nm irradiation within 30 minutes. This work establishes fs-PLAL as a scalable defect-engineering tool for complex ternary layered materials, offering a new design of high-performance metal-thiophosphate-based photocatalysts.