A novel I-type 0D/0D ZnS@Cu3P heterojunction for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Abstract

Developing an efficient and stable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution system is a practical strategy to solve the environmental and energy crisis. Herein, a new noble metal-free I-type ZnS/Cu3P composite was successfully prepared by a hydrothermal-calcination way, and its structure and morphology were characterized. The experimental results demonstrated that the photocatalytic performance of pure ZnS nanoparticles is very weak. However, the addition of Cu3P greatly improved the photocatalytic performance. The yield of the best sample (2% ZnS/Cu3P) was 729 μmol/g/h, about 17 times than that of ZnS. Photocurrent, photoluminescence and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirmed that Cu3P greatly enhanced the charge separation process. The improvement of photocatalytic performance of ZnS/Cu3P is mainly due to the addition of Cu3P nanoparticles, which can not only expand the specific surface area and supply for rich reaction sites, but enhance its photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, the possible mechanism is proposed to illustrate the enhanced photocatalytic performance of the ZnS/Cu3P nanocomposite. This research also provides a way for the design and synthesis of new noble-metal-free photocatalysts with good hydrogen production activity.