Enhanced visible-light photocatalytic H₂ production by ZnₓCd₁−ₓS modified with earth-abundant nickel-based cocatalysts

Abstract

The application of various earth-abundant Ni species, such as NiS, Ni, Ni, OH, and NiO, as a co-catalyst in a ZnxCd, xS system for visible-light photocatalytic H, production was investigated for the first time. The loading of Ni or NiS enhanced the photocatalytic activity of ZnxCd, xS because they could promote the electron transfer at the interface with ZnxCd, xS and catalyze the H, evolution. Surprisingly, Ni, OH, -loaded ZnxCd, xS exhibits a very high photocatalytic H, -production rate of, μmol h, g, with a quantum efficiency of, ., at, nm, which represents one of the most efficient metal sulfide photocatalysts without a Pt co-catalyst to date. This outstanding activity arises from the pronounced synergetic effect between Ni, OH, and metallic Ni formed in situ during the photocatalytic reaction. However, the loading of NiO deactivated the activity of ZnxCd, xS because of their unmatched conduction band positions. This paper reports the optimization of the ZnxCd, xS system by selecting an appropriate Ni-based co-catalyst, Ni, OH, from a series of Ni species to achieve the highest photocatalytic H, -production activity for the first time and also reveals the roles of these Ni species in the photocatalytic activity.