Noble-metal-free bimetallic nitride decorated CdS nanorods for photocatalytic hydrogen generation

Abstract

Developing highly active and stable non-noble-metal cocatalyst-decorated semiconductors is desirable for the practical application of photocatalysis, which remains an open question. Herein, we report transition-metal nitride (Ni₃FeN) loaded cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanorods prepared through a simple hydrothermal method and surface treatment with NH₃. The as-prepared photocatalyst Ni₃FeN (3 wt%)/CdS showed a hydrogen evolution rate of 4.6 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, which was 23.8 and 6.8 fold higher than those of CdS and Pt (1 wt%)/CdS, respectively. The Ni₃FeN/CdS sample exhibited remarkable stability for seven consecutive cycles of photocatalytic tests lasting 21 hours. It was confirmed through Kelvin probe measurements that a Schottky junction between Ni₃FeN and CdS gave rise to the inhibited recombination of photogenerated carriers, which benefited the photocatalytic HER performance.