Ti3C2 MXene co-catalyst on metal sulfide photo-absorbers for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production

The ZnS nanoflower architectures reach a high visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production activity with the deposition of a small portion of CuS nanoparticles.

Ni(ii) coordination polymer nanosheets (Ni-CPNS) were prepared via a top-down liquid ultrasonication exfoliation method. For the first time, Ni-CPNS was used as a co-catalyst (Ni-CPNS@CdS) via a mechanical grinding strategy. The optimized Ni-CPNS@CdS catalyst reached a super high visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of 10 210 μmol h-1 g-1, exceeding that of bare CdS nanoparticles by 1480%. Our work can open new avenues towards the design of stable and cheap CPNS co-catalysts to replace expensive and rare noble metals for photocatalysis processes.

Highly efficient visible-light driven photocatalytic hydrogen production from a novel Z-scheme Er3+:YAlO3/Ta2O5-V5+||Fe3+-TiO2/Au coated composite

Highly efficient visible-light driven photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over Er3+:YAlO3/Ta2O5/rGO/MoSe2 nanocomposite

Mesocrystalline Ta3N5 superstructures with long-lived charges for improved visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production

Nanostructured semiconductor composites are often considered as types of promising photocatalysts and display great prospects in visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production. In this work, nanostructured Pt-on-Au/PCN composites were synthesized by photo-induced synthesis strategy with exfoliated g-C3N4 (PCN) nanosheets as starting materials and served in visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production. The prepared Pt-on-Au/PCN composites showed enhanced visible light absorption and photocatalytic hydrogen production performance. The visible light photocatalytic performance of Pt-on-Au/PCN composites is approximately 54.60 times of pristine g-C3N4 and 3.61 times of Pt/g-C3N4 composites, respectively. These findings could be mainly attributed to the formation of bimetal Pt-on-Au nanostructure for visible light harvesting and charge separation. Besides, possible photocatalytic mechanism of nanostructured Pt-on-Au/PCN composites for hydrogen production is proposed in detail. Current work also offers a new method to design and synthesize other types of metal-on-metal nanostructures for efficient semiconductor photocatalysis.

ZnxCd1−xS/bacterial cellulose bionanocomposite foams, organized by a bio-inspired strategy, exhibit excellent visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production activity, and flexible and easy recyclability.

Visible-light photocatalytic activity of Pt supported TiO2 combined with up-conversion luminescence agent (Er3+:Y3Al5O12) for hydrogen production from aqueous methanol solution

Noble-metal-free Cd0.3Zn0.7S-Ni(OH)2 for high efficiency visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production

In this work, we report the synthesis of Cd1-xZnxS zinc blende/wurtzite (ZB/WZ) heterophase nanojunctions with highly efficient charge separation by a solvothermal method in a mixed solution of diethylenetriamine (DETA) and distilled water. l-Cysteine was selected as a sulfur source and a protecting ligand for stabilization of the ZB/WZ homojunction. The optimal ternary chalcogenide Cd0.7Zn0.3S elongated nanocrystals (NCs) without any cocatalyst loading show very high visible light photocatalytic activity with H2 production efficiency of 3.13 mmol h(-1) and an apparent quantum efficiency of 65.7% at 420 nm. This is one of the best visible light photocatalysts ever reported for photocatalytic hydrogen production without any cocatalysts. The charge separation efficiency, having a critical role in enhancing photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production, was significantly improved. Highly efficient charge separation with a prolonged carrier lifetime is driven by the internal electrostatic field originating from the type-II staggered band alignment at the ZB/WZ junctions, as confirmed by steady and time-resolved photoluminescence spectra. Further, the strong binding between the l-cysteine ligand and Cd1-xZnxS elongated nanocrystals protects and stabilizes NCs; the l-cysteine ligand at the interface could trap holes from Cd1-xZnxS NCs, while photogenerated electrons transfer to Cd1-xZnxS catalytic sites for proton reduction. Our results demonstrate that Cd1-xZnxS ZB/WZ heterophase junctions stabilized by l-cysteine molecules can effectively separate charge carriers and achieve highly visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production. The present study provides a new insight into the design and fabrication of advanced materials with homojunction structures for photocatalytic applications and optoelectronic devices.

Crystalline graphitic carbon nitride is an excellent photocatalyst for hydrogen production due to its non-toxicity, stability, elemental abundance, and visible-light response. Herein, we present a new type of composite photocatalysts, eco-friendly bamboo-charcoal-loaded graphitic carbon nitrides to accelerate the separation of electron-hole pairs. The suitable loading of bamboo charcoal on graphitic carbon nitrides shows an increased specific surface area from 85 to 120 m2 g−1, and excellent visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of 4.1 mmol g−1 h−1, which is 2.3 times higher than that of pristine carbon nitride (1.8 mmol g−1 h−1). Under irradiation, the photogenerated electrons fast migrate from graphitic carbon nitride to bamboo charcoal through an ohmic contact between them, reducing the recombination of electron-hole pairs. This study highlights the effect of carbonaceous material loading on photocatalytic activity of carbon nitrides and opens an avenue to design efficient loaded photocatalysts with natural abundant materials.

Developing efficient non-precious metal semiconductor photocatalysts is highly desirable for photocatalytically splitting water. In this work, the composite of the nanocrystal twinned Zn0.5Cd0.5S (ZCS) solid solution decorated with highly dispersed Ni2P nanoparticles was successfully formed by in situ growth method, and it exhibited remarkable photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of visible light. A high rate of hydrogen production of 30473 µmol h−1 g−1 was achieved, and the apparent quantum yield (AQY) was as high as 83.5% at 420 nm. Moreover, the sample could maintain outstanding photocatalytic hydrogenation activity after 4-cycle continuous catalytic process. The unique nano-twinned structure of ZCS and synergistic effects between the Ni2P and the twinned ZCS are responsible for the dramatically improved catalytic activities of photocatalysts composite. Ni2P is highly dispersible on the surface of ZCS with distinctive double lattice structure, and it exhibits remarkable visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen production activity

Amorphous NiO as co-catalyst for enhanced visible-light-driven hydrogen generation over g-C3N4 photocatalyst

Review of sustainable solar hydrogen production using photon fuel on artificial leaf

Green hydrogen production is a fundamental component of the sustainable energy transition; however, the success of such projects largely depends on the strategic selection of reliable and sustainable equipment suppliers. Supplier selection plays a critical role in aligning operational performance with long-term objectives, including technological competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and societal acceptance. Nevertheless, conventional multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches remain insufficient in adequately capturing the uncertainty, subjectivity, and group decision-making dynamics inherent in real-world supplier evaluation processes. To address this gap, this study proposes a group decision-making supported Spherical Fuzzy TOPSIS (SF-TOPSIS) framework for selecting sustainable green hydrogen production equipment suppliers. Within the model, ten evaluation criteria covering technical, economic, environmental, and social dimensions are defined to ensure alignment between supplier selection decisions and the strategic orientation of the business unit. The empirical findings, based on aggregated global fuzzy weights and relative closeness values, indicate that technical criteria such as electrolyzer efficiency and technical competence (C1), hydrogen safety (C2), and system robustness (C3) are decisive in the evaluation process. Moreover, the social criterion representing local supplier contribution and societal acceptance (C9) has been identified as playing a critical role, highlighting the increasing importance of social legitimacy and regional integration in sustainable hydrogen investments. These findings are derived directly from the model’s quantitative outputs, without relying on prior assumptions, reflecting the strategic significance of the criteria for operational reliability and long-term sustainability. The primary methodological contribution of this study lies in the development of a spherical fuzzy group decision-making framework capable of addressing multidimensional uncertainties across technical, economic, environmental, and social dimensions. This framework provides decision-makers with a reliable, systematic ranking tool for selecting sustainable hydrogen production equipment suppliers under complex uncertainty. From a practical perspective, the proposed model enables stakeholders to quantitatively assess trade-offs between technological performance and socio-economic impacts and serves as a guiding tool for strategic decision-making.