Rationally designed dual cocatalysts on ZnIn2S4 nanoflowers for photoredox coupling of benzyl alcohol oxidation with H2 evolution†
Abstract
Constructing a dual-functional reaction platform combining photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and selective organic synthesis is an effective approach for utilizing both photogenerated electrons and holes to obtain clean, renewable fuels and high-value chemicals. Herein, we synthesized a composite photocatalyst of nickel phosphide (Ni2P) and graphene (GR) dual cocatalyst modified zinc indium sulfide (ZnIn2S4) for efficient photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol (BA) coupled with hydrogen production. In this dual co-catalyst system, GR as an electron relay station can accelerate electron transfer, and Ni2P can facilitate the separation of photogenerated carriers in the composite while providing the active site for proton reduction. As a result, the ZnIn2S4–GR–Ni2P composite exhibited significantly higher activity in the photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol (BA) coupled with hydrogen production than blank ZnIn2S4, ZnIn2S4–GR, and ZnIn2S4–Ni2P. This study proposes a new method of combining dual cocatalysts with semiconductor photocatalysts to simultaneously utilize photo-induced electrons and holes for synergistic coupling of photocatalytic organic synthesis and hydrogen production.
- This article is part of the themed collection: Journal of Materials Chemistry A Emerging Investigators 2024