Revealing multi-level shortrange migration of electrons on full-spectrum response e-LDH/t-BiOCl/Bi2S3 and their essential role in the detoxification of Cr(VI) and refractory organic pollutants.

The toxic dyeing wastewater containing both carcinogenic Cr(VI) and refractory dyes poses serious threats to ecological safety and human health. Herein, a novel composite photocatalytic material e-LDH/t-BiOCl/Bi₂S₃ with an ultrathin sandwich structure constructed achieves removal rate constants of 0.044 and 0.019 min^-1 for Cr(VI) and reactive red 2 by adsorption-photocatalysis synergistic mechanism in full-spectrum illumination. This structure employs the interface conditions and built-in electric field to form multilevel short-range charge migration channel, achieving the targeted reduction and oxidation of Cr(VI) and azoxy dyes by electrons (e^-) and holes (h⁺). Besides facilitating the reduction of Cr(VI), e^- can also enhance the effective utilization of h⁺ and mediate the formation of other reactive oxygen species that target RR2 degradation. The degradation mechanism, pathway, and biological toxicity of RR2 single and Cr(VI)/RR2 coexistence reaction system were discussed by DFT calculation, LC-MS characterization, and T.E.S.T. evaluation. Moreover, we further investigated the photocatalytic activity and cost-effectiveness of the e-LDH/t-BiOCl/Bi₂S₃ system under continuous flow and real water settings, and determined the primary water quality parameters that influence photocatalytic performance. This work establishes a new concept for the rational design of robust ternary heterostructure photocatalysts with desirable morphology and competitive performance for photocatalytic applications.