Preparation of phosphorus-doped MnxCd1−xS with boosted photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from pure water

Abstract

In the present work, a novel photocatalyst of phosphorus-doped (P-doped) Mn_xCd_1−xS was developed for efficient pure water splitting for hydrogen evolution without any sacrificial agents. The doped phosphorus atoms narrowed the band gap of the proposed photocatalyst and enhanced the electron migration rate. In addition, the P-doped Mn_xCd_1−xS catalyst showed a longer photo-electron lifetime, enabling more collision chances for the photocatalytic redox of water than the unmodified sample. The photocatalytic performance of P-doped Mn_xCd_1−xS with Pt as the co-catalyst was approximately 6.6 fold higher than that of bare Mn_xCd_1−xS (863 vs. 130 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹) in the reaction process of pure water splitting. The apparent quantum yield of H₂ evolution reached 0.95% under monochromatic irradiation at 450 nm.