Long-term production of H2 over Pt/CdS nanoplates under sunlight illumination

Abstract

To seek robust active photocatalysts for sunlight-driven water splitting, a variety of semiconductor materials have been developed to achieve high photocatalytic efficiency. In this work, the CdS nanoplates with rough surface have been synthesized through a two-step ionic-exchange route. The as-synthesized sample was modified by Pt in an in situ photo-deposition cell to fabricate hybrid Pt/CdS nanophotocatalyst. The rate of average solar hydrogen evolution over the Pt/CdS nanoplates reached 3.75mmolh−1g−1, which is significantly higher than that of bare CdS and NiS/CdS counterparts. Furthermore, the Pt/CdS exhibited very high stability in continuous solar H2 evolution at a relatively stable state even over a 16-day reaction period, implying the as-fabricated hybrid nanophotocatalyst is approaching the practical requirements. The significantly enhanced photocatalytic efficiency was ascribed to the merits of rough plate-like nanostructures and the assistance of Pt co-catalyst, which can promote the light-absorption capability and photo-carrier separation as well as provide reactive sites. The present work opens an avenue to construct efficient and stable solar-driven catalysts for new energy creation.