Efficient H2 evolution on Co3S4/Zn0.5Cd0.5S nanocomposites by photocatalytic synergistic reaction

Abstract

To achieve high photocatalytic efficiency of H₂ evolution, promoting the utilization rate of photogenerated charge carriers by photocatalytic synergistic reaction is an efficient strategy. In this work, Co₃S₄/Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S nanocomposites with Co₃S₄ derived from ZIF-67 were successfully prepared through a simple hydrothermal method. Under visible light irradiation, Co₃S₄/Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S exhibited high photocatalytic activities in a H₂ production system coupled with selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol. Moreover, 3% Co₃S₄/Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S showed the optimal activity (7.67 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹), greatly improved compared to that of Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S (1.62 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹). The reasons for the improved photocatalytic performance were seriously investigated by a variety of measurements and can be attributed to the enhanced visible light absorption and more efficient electron–hole pair separation. This study provides a good strategy to construct photocatalysts with metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and efficient charge separation for highly efficient H₂ production.