Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production Performance Research Articles

Construction of 3D MoSx/Zn2In2S5 nanoflower heterojunction for boosted photothermal-assisted photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in biomass solution

Hydrogen production from solar energy conversion method is an attractive strategy to alleviate the energy crisis. The use of non-noble metal cocatalysts instead of noble metal monomers to improve the performance of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions has been pursued by researchers. In this work, we develop a single-photon excited electron transport pathway system for photocatalytic hydrogen production performance studies by coupling 0D MoSx nanodots and 3D Zn2In2S5 nanoflowers. Experimental results combined with DFT calculations show that MoSx not only imparts photothermal properties to the composite material, but also acts as a conduit for electron transport, which can accelerate the rapid separation and transfer of photocatalytic charges. Among them, 3-MoSx/Zn2In2S5 selectively promoted photocatalyzed conversion of benzyl alcohol (BA, 100% conversion) into benzaldehyde (BAD, 96.82% selectivity) by simultaneous co-production of hydrogen (8.74 mmol•g−1•h−1) within 1 h, which is about 7.80 and 2.69 times higher than pure Zn2In2S5, respectively. Further, 3-MoSx/Zn2In2S5 can realize the hydrogen production reaction with glycerol as the substrate with a remarkable effect (up to 5.47 mmol•g−1•h−1). Additionally, 3-MoSx/Zn2In2S5 also showed some hydrogen production performance when other biomasses (glucose, xylose, and cellulose) were used as substrates. This work provides a feasible strategy for the design of photothermal photocatalysts for synergistic hydrogen production from biomass.

ZnO/TiO2 heterojunction nanorod array for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting

This study presents a novel approach utilizing a simple, stable, reproducible CV (Cyclic Voltammetry) electrodeposition method to deposit varying amounts of ZnO onto ordered TiO2 (Rutile) nanorod arrays. Comprehensive investigations were conducted on the morphology, semiconductor band-gap structure of different ZnO/Rutile composites, and their performance in photocatalytic (PC) and photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production. Results demonstrate that the ZnO/TiO2 photoanodes fabricated in this manner exhibit outstanding PC/PEC hydrogen production capabilities. Particularly noteworthy is the Z/R-15 photoanode, showcasing superior PEC performance with a photocurrent density 3.5 times higher than that of the pristine TiO2 photoanode under equivalent conditions. Furthermore, it was observed that depositing ZnO onto highly crystalline, annealed TiO2 nanorods yields optimal photoelectrical properties. Incorporating oxygen-rich vacancies in ZnO significantly enhances the photoelectrocatalytic performance of TiO2 photoanodes. The CV electrodeposition method offers valuable insights for developing efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production catalysts.

Recent Progress of Ion-Modified TiO2 for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production.

Harnessing solar energy to produce hydrogen through semiconductor-mediated photocatalytic water splitting is a promising avenue to address the challenges of energy scarcity and environmental degradation. Ever since Fujishima and Honda's groundbreaking work in photocatalytic water splitting, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has garnered significant interest as a semiconductor photocatalyst, prized for its non-toxicity, affordability, superior photocatalytic activity, and robust chemical stability. Nonetheless, the efficacy of solar energy conversion is hampered by TiO2's wide bandgap and the swift recombination of photogenerated carriers. In pursuit of enhancing TiO2's photocatalytic prowess, a panoply of modification techniques has been explored over recent years. This work provides an extensive review of the strategies employed to augment TiO2's performance in photocatalytic hydrogen production, with a special emphasis on foreign dopant incorporation. Firstly, we delve into metal doping as a key tactic to boost TiO2's capacity for efficient hydrogen generation via water splitting. We elaborate on the premise that metal doping introduces discrete energy states within TiO2's bandgap, thereby elevating its visible light photocatalytic activity. Following that, we evaluate the role of metal nanoparticles in modifying TiO2, hailed as one of the most effective strategies. Metal nanoparticles, serving as both photosensitizers and co-catalysts, display a pronounced affinity for visible light absorption and enhance the segregation and conveyance of photogenerated charge carriers, leading to remarkable photocatalytic outcomes. Furthermore, we consolidate perspectives on the nonmetal doping of TiO2, which tailors the material to harness visible light more efficiently and bolsters the separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers. The incorporation of various anions is summarized for their potential to propel TiO2's photocatalytic capabilities. This review aspires to compile contemporary insights on ion-doped TiO2, propelling the efficacy of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and anticipating forthcoming advancements. Our work aims to furnish an informative scaffold for crafting advanced TiO2-based photocatalysts tailored for water-splitting applications.

Boosting the Photocatalytic Performance of g-C3N4 through MoS2 Nanotubes with the Cavity Enhancement Effect.

The development of catalysts with high photon utilization efficiency is crucial for enhancing the catalytic performance of photocatalysts. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a prominent material in the field of photocatalysis. However, it still exhibits drawbacks such as low utilization of visible light and severe recombination of photogenerated carriers. To address these issues, this study employs MoS2 nanotubes (NTs) as cocatalysts and constructs MoS2 NTs/g-C3N4. The MoS2 NTs/g-C3N4 exhibits a significant cavity enhancement effect through multiple light reflections. This results in a broad spectral absorption range and high photon utilization efficiency, while also reducing the recombination of photogenerated carriers. The photocatalyst demonstrates outstanding performance in both photocatalytic hydrogen production and photodegradation of organic pollutants. Specifically, the hydrogen production rate is 1921 μmol·g-1·h-1, which is approximately 2.4 times that of g-C3N4. Furthermore, the photodegradation rate of Rhodamine B reaches 98.6% within 30 min, which is approximately three times higher than that of g-C3N4. Free radical capture experiments confirm that holes (h+) are the primary active species in photodegradation. A plausible photocatalytic mechanism for the catalyst is proposed. This study provides valuable insights into the development of heterojunction photocatalysts with high photon utilization efficiency.

Facile Fabrication of SrTiO3/In2O3 on Carbon Fibers via a Self-Assembly Strategy for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Photocatalytic water splitting by semiconductors is considered a promising and cost-effective method for achieving sustainable hydrogen production. In this study, a CF/SrTiO3/In2O3 photocatalytic material with a double-layer core–shell structure was developed. The experimental results indicated that the produced CF/SrTiO3/In2O3 composite fiber displayed superior photocatalytic hydrogen production performance, achieving a hydrogen evolution rate of approximately 320.71 μmol/g·h, which is roughly seven times higher than that of the CF/SrTiO3 fiber alone. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the CF/SrTiO3/In2O3 fiber can be attributed to the heterojunction structure enriched with oxygen vacancies. It was found that these oxygen vacancies created defective states that served as traps for photogenerated electrons, facilitating their migration to the surface defect states and enabling the reduction of H+ in water to produce hydrogen. Furthermore, the synergy between the heterojunction structure and the conductivity of the carbon fiber promoted the generation and migration of photogenerated electrons, reduced the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, and ultimately improved photocatalytic hydrogen production. This study presents a new approach for designing efficient photocatalysts with surface oxygen vacancies on carbon fibers, providing new insights into the sustainable application of photocatalysts.

Promoting charge separation in CuInS2/CeO2 photocatalysts by an S-scheme heterojunction for enhanced photocatalytic H2 production

Low charge separation efficiency significantly hampers the performance of photocatalytic hydrogen production. Constructing heterojunctions emerges as a crucial strategy to enhance photocatalytic activity by improving charge separation. An S-scheme heterojunction not only effectively separates the photogenerated charge in composite photocatalysts but also preserves optimal redox capabilities. This study presents the first report of CuInS2/CeO2 (CIS/CeO2) and demonstrates how charge separation within CIS/CeO2 to enhance photocatalytic hydrogen production through the construction of an S-scheme heterojunction. The UV–visible-driven hydrogen production rate of CIS/CeO2 is 4.6 and 9.4 times higher than that of CIS and CeO2 alone, respectively. The improved photocatalytic performance primarily stems from enhanced charge separation promoted by the S-scheme heterojunction. The charge transfer pathway was confirmed as an S-scheme mechanism through a combination of band structure experiments, density functional theory (DFT) calculations on work function, internal electric field, and charge differential density distribution, alongside electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments. Multiple perspectives were employed to elucidate the reasons behind facilitating efficient charge separation. This research provides valuable insights for advancing photocatalytic performance.

Elaborate design and construction of direct Z-scheme ZnIn2S4@BiYWO6 heterojunction catalysts for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production

Photocatalytic Hydrogen production as one of the effective ways to solve the future energy issues has recently become a research hotspot in the field of renewable energy. However, single-component photocatalysts have poor hydrogen production efficiency due to the narrow light-absorption range, susceptibility to photo-corrosion and low catalytic activity. Herein, novel heterojunction photocatalysts of ZnIn2S4@BiYWO6 with different mass ratios were designed and synthesized using a facile two-step hydrothermal method. Experimental results and analyses show that these heterojunction catalysts exhibit extremely excellent photocatalytic performance for hydrogen production. Especially, the hydrogen production rate of 10ZnIn2S4-BiYWO6 is 73 times higher than that of pure ZnIn2S4. Furthermore, enhanced photocatalytic mechanism and carrier transfer pathway in the heterojunction photocatalyst of ZnIn2S4@BiYWO6 were deeply analyzed and explored in the paper, which confirmed that ZnIn2S4@BiYWO6 is a direct Z-scheme heterojunction architecture. Within such a Z-scheme framework, the presence of a built-in electric field at the interface between ZnIn2S4 and BiYWO6 as well as the energy band bending lead to the direct recombination of electrons and holes with low redox capacity, while keeping the electrons and holes with high redox capacity in each component. Consequently, the photocatalytic activity of the Z-scheme heterojunction system has been greatly enhanced. It is believed that the present work provides valuable guidance for the design and construction of novel Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts.

Optimizing Conductive Polymer Bulk Structure: Influence of Polymerization Temperature on Photocatalytic Performance for Sustainable Hydrogen Production

The influence of the polymerization temperature upon the bulk‐structure‐doped conductive polymer polyaniline (emeraldine‐salt, PANI) on the semiconducting, optical, and electrical properties of the photocatalyst is investigated. When the B‐PANI polymerization temperature increases from 5 to 60 °C, the crystallinity and conductivity of Pt/N‐TiO2/B‐PANI (PNT/B‐PANI) decreases. To rectify the problems of recycling convenience and secondary pollution, this study combines a photocatalyst and a porous polystyrene film for sustainable hydrogen production. The photocatalytic performance of the polystyrene/PNT/B‐PANI‐5 (PS/PNT/B‐PANI‐5) photocatalyst film (27 047 μmol h−1 g−1) under simulated sunlight irradiation is enhanced by a factor of up to 1.6 compared to that of PS/PNT. Therefore, the PS/PNT/B‐PANI photocatalyst film is a visible‐light photocatalyst which is a promising candidate for enhancing photocatalytic recycling convenience.

Photothermal ReO2/ReS2/Zn2In2S5 heterojunction for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Converting solar energy into hydrogen production is a promising strategy to alleviate the energy crisis. In this study, we developed a system for the study of photocatalytic hydrogen production performance by coupling ReO2/ReS2 community and 3D Zn2In2S5 nanoflowers. The combination of experimental results and Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that ReO2/ReS2 not only endows the composites with photothermal properties, but also acts as a step for electron transport, enabling accelerated photocatalytic charge separation and transfer. Among them, 0.75-ReO2/ReS2/Zn2In2S5 (up to 6.75 mmol•g−1•h−1) can achieve the highest hydrogen production with Triethanolamine (TEOA) as substrate, which is 23.28 times higher than that of pure Zn2In2S5 (0.29 mmol•g−1•h−1). In addition, 0.75-ReO2/ReS2/Zn2In2S5 also exhibited certain hydrogen production performance when some representative biomasses (lactic acid, glycerol, glucose, and xylose) were used as substrates. This work provides a feasible strategy for the design of new photothermal hydrogen production photocatalysts.

Synthesis of rare earth MOF/CZS materials derived from aromatic tetracarboxylic acids and photocatalytic hydrogen production

With the increasing urgency of clean energy, photocatalytic hydrogen production serves as a sustainable hydrogen manufacturing method to improve the increasing scarcity of fossil fuels and environmental pollution. Herein, Cd0.2Zn0.8S (CZS)-modified Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) composites Pr–NO2–TPTC/CZS were successfully prepared through the reaction of Pr3+, aromatic tetracarboxylic acid, and Cd0.2Zn0.8S nanoparticles. Pr–NO2–TPTC/CZS composite materials exhibited enhanced photolysis performance compared to pure Pr–NO2–TPTC and Cd0.2Zn0.8S materials. With the decrease of Cd0.2Zn0.8S in Pr–NO2–TPTC/CZS composites, the photocatalytic performance of the synthesized composites is constantly improved. Pr–NO2–TPTC/CZS (1:1) photocatalyst exhibited excellent hydrogen evolution performance, with a hydrogen production capacity of 6321 μmol g−1 h−1. Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), photocurrent-time test (I-t), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) confirmed that the heterojunction interface formed between Pr–NO2–TPTC and CZS promoted electron-hole separation and transfer. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) indicated that CZS-modified Pr–NO2–TPTC can promote the production of ·OH and ·O2− in the system, thereby increasing the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance. This work provides an effective solution for photocatalytic hydrogen production and a potential method for solving the energy crisis and environmental pollution.

Sputtering Deposition of ZnO Thin Films for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production: Perspectives on Upscaling

This study presents the successful implementation of ZnO thin films (denoted as z01, z02, and z03) through magnetron sputtering in the photocatalytic production of hydrogen using a low-intensity UV source (3 mW cm−2). The one-step synthesis process demonstrates simplicity and scalability. The deposited coatings, with thicknesses ranging from 62 to 209 nm, exhibit a hexagonal crystalline structure and display visible luminescence in the yellow-red range, attributed to point defects in the ZnO lattice. Among the samples, z03 (62 nm in thickness) exhibited the most promising performance in photocatalytic hydrogen production, achieving a rate of (5387.2 ± 151.6) µmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ when utilizing methanol as a hole scavenger. These findings hold great potential for upscaling such coatings in energy harvesting applications. The present work opens new avenues for efficient and scalable hydrogen production, contributing to improving clean energy technologies.

Constructing stable type-II NaLiTi3O7/La2S3 heterojunctions for efficient photocatalytic charge separation and hydrogen production

Designing titanium-based oxides with efficient photogenerated carrier separation is an essential approach to enhance their photocatalytic hydrogen production performance. ALiTi3O7 possesses excellent stability, corrosion resistance, and non-toxicity. More importantly, its stoichiometry can be changed along with the variations in A-site elements and Li content, leading to tunable redox potentials of the conduction band minimum (CBM) and valence band maximum (VBM). Exploring the possible application of such materials in the field of photocatalysis is crucial for developing novel and efficient titanium-based photocatalysts. As a member of the family, NaLiTi3O7 (NLT) has a large bandgap, limiting its application as visible light photocatalyst. To address this issue, non-toxic La2S3 (LS) narrow-bandgap semiconductor was incorporated to form a heterojunction. The characterization techniques have revealed the structural and interfacial characteristics of the NLT-LS heterojunction, while the Infrared, Raman, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and work-function tests elucidated the influence of the interface interaction on charge carrier separation mechanism. The test results further demonstrated that the formation of a type II heterojunction facilitated the transfer of photogenerated electrons from the conduction band of LS to the conduction band of NLT under light radiation. Simultaneously, the induced holes were confined to the valence band of LS. This charge transfer characteristic significantly improved the separation efficiency of the photogenerated carriers in the heterojunction, ultimately resulting in a photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of 102.4 μmol h−1 g−1 for the NLT-LS2 sample, which is ∼8 times higher than that of pure NLT and almost no decay after four cycles.

Donor-acceptor type conjugated porous polymers based on benzotrithiophen and triazine derivatives: Effect of linkage unit on photocatalytic water splitting

Donor-acceptor conjugated polymers have received significant attention as the most promising photocatalysts for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production (PHP). Nonetheless, achieving high photocatalytic PHP performance relies on molecular framework design and the judicious selection of different structural units. Herein, benzotrithiophene (BTT) and triazine derivatives were used as the basic units of organic polymers, and two conjugated porous polymers (CPPs) named as CP1 and CP2 were successfully synthesized by Stille coupling reaction. Compared with benzene as the linkage unit of triazine, it is evident that the incorporation of the thiophene unit in CP2 broadens its light response range, and promotes the generation of electrons/holes induced by light. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and femtosecond transient absorption(fs-TA) spectroscopy reveal that CP2 effectively inhibits the photogenerated electron-hole pair recombination and promotes carrier transport. Remarkably, CP2 with Pt co-catalyst exhibited a notably superior PHP performance compared with that of CP1 polymer, which achieved an impressive hydrogen evolution rate (HER) of 21702.4 μmol/g/h, surpassing CP1 by approximately 3.7 times. This work provides a new tactic for enhancing the intrinsic PHP activity and reveals the underlying mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic activity by regulating the different structural units of the donor-acceptor conjugated polymers.

Efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation by CeCO3OH/TiO2 composites

Due to its low photogenerated carrier separation efficiency and wide band gap, the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 is not ideal. In this work, CeCO3OH/TiO2 composites were successfully prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. A series of characterisations shows that the CeCO3OH/TiO2 composites improves the photogenerated carrier separation efficiency, narrowes the band gap width and increases the visible light absorption capacity compared with the monomer, enhancing the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. Under visible light irradiation, 20% CeCO3OH/TiO2 exhibites the highest photocatalytic hydrogen production performance of 2386.16 μmol g−1 h−1, which is 18.7 times higher than that of pure TiO2 and 25.8 times higher than that of pure CeCO3OH. It provides ideas for the development of more efficient photocatalytic materials and technologies.

Preparation of carbon/Fe-doped g-C3N4 and study on its photocatalytic hydrogen production performance

With the large consumption of non-renewable energy, energy shortage has become a major challenge to human society. Among many new energy production technologies, photocatalytic hydrogen production from water can be realized by using abundant solar energy as the driving force, and the conditions of hydrogen production are mild, green and pollution-free, it is considered one of the effective technologies to solve the current energy shortage crisis. The core of photocatalytic hydrogen production is photocatalyst, therefore, the study of efficient, stable and cheap photocatalysts has become a hot spot. Two-dimensional layered g-C3N4 has become an important photocatalytic material in recent years because of its suitable band gap, its response in the visible light band and its chemical and thermal stability. Due to the high rate of photogenerated electron-hole recombination and the slow rate of photoreaction of g-C3N4, the addition of [Fe2(HMOPIP)6]·8H2O·10OH to regulate g-C3N4 forming carbon/Fe-doped g-C3N4, it can reduces the recombination efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole and improves photocatalytic activity. Through hydrogen production experiment, we can see that, compared with g-C3N4, the carbon/Fe-doped g-C3N4 has better electron-hole separation ability and photocatalytic hydrogen production performance, with the hydrogen production rate of the carbon/Fe-doped g-C3N4 being approximately 5.92-fold higher than g-C3N4.

Construction of ternary Ni2P/ZIF-8/CdS composite for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production and pollutant degradation: Accelerating separation of photogenerated carriers

Constructing heterojunctions for efficient charge separation is a crucial method to boost photocatalytic activity. Initially, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles were synthesized in situ on the surface of cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoflowers, creating a novel ZIF-8/CdS composite material. Subsequently, a ternary Ni2P/ZIF-8/CdS composite was fabricated for photocatalytic hydrogen production and pollution reduction. The optimally obtained Ni2P/ZIF-8/CdS composites showed excellent photocatalytic efficiency and structural stability under simulated solar light irradiation. The hydrogen production rate of Ni2P/ZIF-8/CdS composite was 21.05 mmol h−1 g−1. Additionally, Ni2P/ZIF-8/CdS degraded malachite green (MG) with 99% efficiency. It was found that the proximity of sulfides to porous MOFs accelerated the separation of light-induced charges. Nickel phosphide (Ni2P) played a vital role in photocatalytic reactions, serving the dual function of capturing photogenerated electrons and accelerating separation of photogenerated carriers. Mechanistic and characterization studies revealed that constructing heterojunction between CdS and ZIF-8 could promote photogenerated carrier transport, enhance the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers, ultimately improving the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance and degradation efficiency.

Functionalized Linear Conjugated Polymer/TiO2 Heterojunctions for Significantly Enhancing Photocatalytic H2 Evolution.

Conjugated polymers (CPs) have attracted much attention in recent years due to their structural abundance and tunable energy bands. Compared with CP-based materials, the inorganic semiconductor TiO2 has the advantages of low cost, non-toxicity and high photocatalytic hydrogen production (PHP) performance. However, studies on polymeric-inorganic heterojunctions, composed of D-A type CPs and TiO2, for boosting the PHP efficiency are still rare. Herein, an elucidation that the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity can actually be improved by forming polymeric-inorganic heterojunctions TFl@TiO2, TS@TiO2 and TSO2@TiO2, facilely synthesized through efficient in situ direct C-H arylation polymerization, is given. The compatible energy levels between virgin TiO2 and polymeric semiconductors enable the resulting functionalized CP@TiO2 heterojunctions to exhibit a considerable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate (HER). Especially, the HER of TSO2@TiO2 heterojunction reaches up to 11,220 μmol g-1 h-1, approximately 5.47 and 1260 times higher than that of pristine TSO2 and TiO2 photocatalysts. The intrinsic merits of a donor-acceptor conjugated polymer and the interfacial interaction between CP and TiO2 account for the excellent PHP activity, facilitating the separation of photo-generated excitons. Considering the outstanding PHP behavior, our work discloses that the coupling of inorganic semiconductors and suitable D-A conjugated CPs would play significant roles in the photocatalysis community.

Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production performance of g-C3N4 with rich carbon vacancies

Hydrogen energy is globally recognized as one of the clean and renewable chemical energy sources. Development of photocatalysts that can efficiently utilize sunlight for photocatalytic hydrogen production is an urgent mission at present. In this study, g-C3N4 with abundant pore structure and carbon defects for photocatalytic hydrogen generation was prepared by heat treatment of g-C3N4 using ammonium carbonate. The results of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution experiments demonstrate that the 5NHC sample (2 g g-C3N4 was mixed with 5.0 g ammonium carbonate) exhibits the highest hydrogen precipitation rate (972.3 μmol g-1h−1), which is 4.29 times higher than that of the reference g-C3N4 (183.6 μmol g-1h−1). Moreover, the 5NHC sample shows excellent structural stability during the hydrogen production cycling experiments, confirmed by the experimental results. Cr(VI) reduction results further demonstrate excellent photocatalytic performance of 5NHC, which is 1.54 times higher than that of the reference g-C3N4. The defective energy levels induced by carbon vacancies will lead to a rapid separation of photoinduced charge pairs, which will result in boosted photocatalytic performance. This work provides an effective strategy for development of highly performance g-C3N4.

Enhancing Dy2O3/g-C3N4 visible photocatalytic hydrogen production performance by loading graphene-like carbon from Enteromorpha prolifera (EP-GL)

Using Enteromorpha prolifera (EP) as a raw material, biomass graphene-like carbon (EP-GL) can be prepared and used as a cocatalyst to modify semiconductor photocatalytic materials, which contributes to achieving a sustainable development strategy. In this study, graphene-like carbon was successfully obtained from EP biomass through high-temperature pyrolysis. It was then used to modify a Dy2O3/g-C3N4 semiconductor composite photocatalyst using a simple microwave hydrothermal method. The incorporation of EP-GL not only acted as a transfer channel for photogenerated electrons and enhanced the separation of photogenerated carriers, but also significantly increased the specific surface area of the catalyst, providing more active sites for photocatalytic reactions. Additionally, the heterojunction formed between Dy2O3/g-C3N4 aided in the separation of electron-hole pairs, further improving the efficiency of photocatalytic hydrogen production. The composite catalyst achieved a hydrogen generation rate of 683.16 μmol⋅g−1⋅h−1 in ethylene glycol solution and 723.57 μmol⋅g−1⋅h−1 in glucose solution. These rates were 3.84 and 3.56 times greater than those of Dy2O3 alone, respectively. This demonstrated the superior performance of the ternary composite photocatalyst in harnessing visible light for efficient hydrogen production.

Coupling interface constructions of ZnO@ZnS@FeOOH for photocatalytic hydrogen production performance

Photocatalysis is a reliable method to solve energy crisis and generate green energy hydrogen. ZnO@ZnS (ZOS) formed heterojunction repressed carrier complexation and thus enhanced photocatalytic performance, but its low photoresponse efficiency limited its photocatalytic performance. Therefore, in this paper, ZnO@ZnS was modified with ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) to form ZnO@ZnS@FeOOH composites with coupling interface. The modification of EDTA could inhibite the oxidation of FeOOH during the synthesis process, and what’s more it could enhance the charge transfer at the heterojunction interface to promote the separation of electron-hole pairs and photoresponsive ability to further enhanced the hydrogen precipitation performance. The concentration of EDTA and Fe sources were regulated to investigate the photocatalytic hydrogen production capacity of the composites. The results indicated that the ternary composite ZnO@ZnS@FeOOH had the superior hydrogen evolution performance with the hydrogen evolution rate of 529.17 umol g−1 h−1, which was 2.4 times higher than that of ZOS. EDTA acts as an electron channel to enhance the inter-interfacial electron transfer capability, and the loading of FeOOH formed a heterojunction structure, which promoted carrier separation and enhanced the photoresponse. It’s the synergistic effect to enhanced the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance. This paper provided a method for the construction of ternary heterojunctions and interfacial charge transport channels.