An amorphous CoSx modified Mn0.5Cd0.5S solid solution with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic H2-production activity†
Abstract
It is of significant importance to develop cheap and efficient co-catalysts for photocatalytic H2 production. Herein, a series of highly efficient and noble metal-free CoSx modified Mn0.5Cd0.5S nanocomposites are successfully synthesized via a simple direct precipitation process. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared photocatalysts for H2 production from water splitting under visible-light irradiation is investigated. It can be found that the rate of H2 evolution over CoSx/Mn0.5Cd0.5S is 2.4 times higher than that of pure Mn0.5Cd0.5S, which is comparable to Mn0.5Cd0.5S modified with 1 wt% platinum (Pt) co-catalyst. The products are systematically characterized by XRD, UV-vis DRS, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, XPS, PL and so on. According to the above experimental results, it can be concluded that the amorphous CoSx nanoparticles function as active sites and excellent electron transfer mediators for the catalytic reaction.