Integration of ReS2 on ZnIn2S4 for boosting the hydrogen evolution coupled with selective oxidation of biomass intermediate under visible light

Abstract

Challenge remains to develop a high activity of photocatalyst for large-scale industrial application in photocatalytic selective conversion of biomass alcohols into the value-added chemicals accompany with H2 evolution in aqueous solution. Herein, ReS2 as high efficiency co-catalyst is utilized to modify the flower-like ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) microspheres to obtain heterojunction composite, result in dramatically enhancements in photocatalytic oxidation of furfural alcohols cooperative with H2 evolution. Further studies show that the optimal catalyst containing 4.08 wt% ReS2 (RZIS-3) realize remarkably generation rates of H2 and furfural at 3092.9 and 2981.1 μmol g−1 h−1, respectively, nearly 12 times faster than that of blank ZnIn2S4. Mechanism studies verify that the migration of the photogenerated carriers from ZnIn2S4 to ReS2 leading to the remarkably photoactivity of the composite. Moreover, the typical photocatalysis not rely on a single model substrate, and high performance of the composite has been identified for the oxidation of other alcohols biomass intermediate to value-added aldehydes/ketones, providing a new insight for design and fabrication of the novel photocatalytic hydrogen evolution systems.