Photocatalytic Activity Measurements Research Articles

Photocatalytic performance of CuO NPs: An experimental approach for process parameter optimization for Rh B dye

Optimization of process parameters for photocatalytic activity measurement of CuO nanoparticles (NPs) was the focus of this study. CuO NPs were prepared following chemical co-precipitation method and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Subsequent studies concentrated on optimizing pH of Rhodamine B (Rh B) dye, catalyst doses, and concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for effective photocatalytic degradation. This optimization process was intended to properly investigate the photocatalytic activity of CuO NPs using Rh B dye (5 ppm), a frequently encountered organic pollutant. After 180 min of UV irradiation at optimized condition (pH 10, 0.3125 mg/mL NPs, 9000 ppm H2O2) a degradation rate of 60 percent was recorded. These findings maximized the degradation efficiency of CuO NPs to exploit as a potential photocatalyst.

Comparative study on photocatalytic activity: Ni ferrite/Mg ferrite vs. Z-scheme Ni ferrite/silver/Mg ferrite heterojunction under solar radiation

This study investigates the photodegradation efficiency of core/shell structures comprising NiFe2O4/MgFe2O4 (NiF/MgF) and Z-scheme NiFe2O4/Ag/MgFe2O4 (NiF/Ag/MgF) heterojunctions for Methylene Blue dye degradation. In this study, solar radiation was used as a source of excitation. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals an increase in particle size and micro-strain for NiF/MgF and NiF/Ag/MgF, confirming the formation of core/shell structures. The NiF/Ag/MgF sample exhibits the highest magnetization, attributed to the RKKY magnetic interaction between NiF and MgF moments via the conduction electron of the Ag metal layer. Optical measurements indicate increased absorption coefficient and absorption bandwidth for core–shell structures. Photocatalytic activity measurements demonstrate that while bare MgFe2O4 MgF shows limited photodegradation efficiency, NiF/MgF and NiF/Ag/MgF heterojunctions significantly enhance photodegradation. The presence of the Ag metal layer in the NiF/Ag/MgF heterojunction reduces electron-hole pair recombination and enhances their separation, leading to exceptional photodegradation efficiency. These results highlight the significance of Z-scheme heterojunction configurations in augmenting photodegradation processes under solar radiation, offering notable economic advantages. Additionally, the high magnetization observed in the studied samples presents an opportunity for efficient waste material retrieval using a simple magnetic extraction method.

The role of Cu and film thickness on the photocatalytic activity of mesoporous spin coated TiO2 films

Most practical applications of photocatalysts will involve coatings on an inert support; here we have examined how copper doping of spin coated porous TiO2 films affects their physical characteristics and photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic degradation of stearic acid was used as a measure of photocatalytic activity for catalysts spin coated from a sol-gel onto glass with 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2.5 and 5 wt% copper introduced into the catalyst lattice before gelation. The effects of spin coating speed on film thickness, structure and band gap were studied and the nature of the copper incorporated into the films examined with XPS and XANES measurements. Increased spin coating speeds reduces the thickness of the deposited films from ∼ 50 μm to ∼ 20 μm until a spin speed of ∼ 3000 rpm at which point non-Newtonian behaviour of the gels prevents further reductions in film thickness. A larger effect on film thickness is the presence of the added copper nitrate which results in thinner films. After calcining, XANES shows the bulk of the copper to be in a Cu(II) state but at the surface of the thinnest, most active films XPS shows only Cu(I). Photocatalytic activity is much more strongly affected by the presence of the copper than the thickness of the films with 0.1 wt% Cu catalysts as much as 10 times more active than the undoped catalysts. Increasing the copper content, however, reduces activity until at ∼ 5 wt% activity is lower than for the pure TiO2 films.

Study on phase transformation of BiOI and corresponding photocatalytic activity

As a visible-light-driven photocatalyst, BiOI has aroused considerable attention in light of its unique properties and promising application aspect in wastewater treatment. However, photocatalytic activity of BiOI needs to be further enhanced to meet the practical application owing to low redox capacity of carriers. In this work, BiOI was baked at the different temperature, and the catalysts were studied by various approaches. The corresponding catalytic performance was investigated by destruction of rhodamine B (RhB). The results demonstrate that BiOI can occur crystal transformation: BiOI→Bi4O5I2→Bi5O7I during the baking process, in-situ forming BiOI/Bi4O5I2 and Bi4O5I2/Bi5O7I heterojunctions, inducing enrichen oxygen vacancies (OVs) and accelerating the formation of ·O2−. Photocatalytic activity measurement reveals that Bi4O5I2/Bi5O7I heterojunctions obtained from baking BiOI at 500 °C have the highest activity, which is 13-fold of that of the reference BiOI. This work paves way for in-situ construction of heterojunctions by phase transformation through baking.

Recommendations for improving the experimental protocol for the determination of photocatalytic activity by nitric oxide oxidation measurements.

The photocatalytic nitric oxide (NO) oxidation reaction is used as a standard diagnostic tool for photocatalytic activity according to the well-defined protocol described by ISO Standard 22197-1-2007. This protocol identifies the negative peak showing a NOx concentration drop during a gas flow switch from the calibration bypass to the reactor as adsorption of NOx on the surface. Evidence is provided for this first transient to be due to a dilution effect in the gas phase within the reactor. With proper models of residence time distribution analysis, this transient revealed the internal hydrodynamics and it can be used to determine the internal volumes of the system. The second transient occurs immediately after the light is switched on. The conversions strongly depend on the time constant of this transient. Controlled measurements of the effect of illumination intensity revealed that at higher light intensities the transient takes longer to reach steady state. The longer transient was attributed to the time needed to reach a thermal steady state of the hot spots generated by the recombination of excess charge carriers. When the catalyst amount was investigated as a parameter, a saturation effect was observed. This saturation effect was correlated with the gas phase concentrations of NOx and moisture and their ratios to the available specific surface area. Hence, additional constraints with respect to the illumination intensity and catalyst amounts are recommended for accurate measurements of photocatalytic activity by NO oxidation.

Influence of Cu–Mg substituted ZnFe2O4 ferrite as a highly efficient nanocatalyst for dye degradation and 4-nitrophenol reduction

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the Cu–Mg substituted zinc ferrite effect can be employed for photocatalytic dye degradation and the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol. Methylene blue (MB) dye was completely degraded and harmful 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) completely transformed into useful 4-aminophenol using the as-synthesized Zn1-xCu0.5xMg0.5xFe2O4 ferrite samples. Phase identification of the as-synthesized ferrites was accomplished using X-ray diffraction (XRD). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the elemental composition of the Zn1-xCu0.5xMg0.5xFe2O4 ferrite samples. The surface morphology and microstructural investigation of the Zn1-xCu0.5xMg0.5xFe2O4 ferrite samples were performed using SEM and TEM. The energy band gap of the Zn1-xCu0.5xMg0.5xFe2O4 ferrite samples can be tuned in the range of 1.76–1.56 eV by varying the dopant concentration. After modification by Cu–Mg, the undoped zinc ferrite and additive modified photocatalyst effectively and completely eliminated MB and 4-NP. Photocatalytic activity measurements indicate that the unique Zn1-xCu0.5xMg0.5xFe2O4 ferrite samples are highly active environmental remediation catalysts. This photocatalytic approach produces repeatable results for dye degradation and 4-NP reduction. The photocatalytic mechanism for MB degradation was also demonstrated in the presence of Zn1-xCu0.5xMg0.5xFe2O4 ferrite.

Design and characterization of single bilayer ZnO/Al2O3 film by ultrasonically spray pyrolysis and its application in photocatalysis

Design and production of single bilayer ZnO/Al2O3 film have been made by ultrasonically spray pyrolysis technique on glass substrate to develop an alternative high effective photocatalytic material. For detailed evaluation, commonly known comparatives like ZnO, Al2O3, 1%Al:ZnO, and 50%Al:ZnO films have been produced. XRD analyses confirm that films are polycrystalline with hexagonal wurtzite crystal structures. AFM results have been indicated that the variable film morphologies and roughnesses according to film structure. Surface morphologies and thicknesses of the films have been determined via plain view and cross-sectional SEM images. Especially, EDX mapping has been present individually for each layer of ZnO/Al2O3 film and distribution of Zn, Al, O elements, clearly. The calculated optical band gaps of the films have been obtained between 3.11 and 3.63 ​eV. Photocatalytic activity measurements have been presented an improved photocatalytic performance for ZnO/Al2O3 photocatalyst. Results indicate that photocatalytic activity is correlated with film design.

A silver-based ink for assessing low activity photocatalytic films

A new type of photocatalytic activity indicator ink, paii, is described based on the photocatalysed reduction of Ag ions to the metal, rather than that of a dye, such as resazurin, Rz. UVA irradiation of an Ag ink film coating on a photocatalytic surface produces a brown colouration due to Ag nanoparticle formation. The Ag ink is easy to make and provides a simple method for the rapid assessment of photocatalytic films, with the added advantage of being particularly sensitive to low activity photocatalytic materials, such as commercial self-cleaning tiles for which no International Standards Organisation, ISO, test exists, including a Rz paii ISO. A felt-tipped pen applied Ag ink film is used to identify the presence of activity in a wide range of different materials, including examples of commercial self-cleaning glass, tile, paint and plastic awning materials. Unlike its well-established Rz paii counterpart, the Ag ink is effective on very hydrophobic and delicate, i.e. easily removed, photocatalytic films. A protocol is employed for the Ag ink to provide a quantitative measure of photocatalytic activity on both a low activity photocatalytic material, i.e. a Hytect™ tile, and a moderately active, reference photocatalytic material, Activ™ glass. The potential of the Ag ink to aid research and development into, and quality assurance of, low activity photocatalytic films, and also help in identifying activity in films previously considered inert, is discussed briefly.

Recyclable CoFe2O4 modified BiOCl hierarchical microspheres utilizing photo, photothermal and mechanical energy for organic pollutant degradation

Taking advantage of multiple energy sources is an effective way to enhance the catalytic efficiency of a catalytic system. Here, through rational design, we fabricated CoFe2O4 modified BiOCl hierarchical microspheres (CFO-BiOCl), which not only can make full use of photo, photothermal and mechanical energy but also can be easily recycled from liquid solutions. Photocatalytic activity measurement showed that CFO-BiOCl samples possessed outstanding photocatalytic activity, evident with 99% of rhodamine B decomposed in 5 min and 90% of tetracycline hydrochloride degraded in 10 min under full-spectrum light irradiation. Furthermore, piezo-/photocatalytic degradation rates of tetracycline hydrochloride, bisphenol A and phenol were around 2, 3 and 8 times higher than photocatalytic degradation rates under low-intensity light irradiation. Recycling tests showed that the piezo-/photocatalytic activity of CFO-BiOCl hardly decreased after 5 cycles. The excellent photocatalytic performance of CFO-BiOCl catalysts can be attributed to suitable band alignment of CoFe2O4 and BiOCl and photothermal effect that elevates organic pollutant molecules into a more active state. The generation of piezoelectric field in BiOCl crystals, providing strong driven force for the separation of photo-induced electrons and holes, gives rise to the high piezo-/photocatalytic efficiency. This work may bring a design pattern to fabricate catalysts that can utilize multiple energy sources and give a thorough discussion in the catalytic mechanism.

Multifunctional oil-produced reduced graphene oxide – Silver oxide composites with photocatalytic, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities

Graphene-based nanomaterials that combine significant photocatalytic, antioxidant and antibacterial activity are very attractive candidates for biomedical and environmental applications. Conventional chemical synthesis routes may contaminate the resultant materials with toxic molecules, compromising their properties and limiting their use in biomedical applications. Ideally, to avoid any contamination, the nanomaterials should be synthesized from non-toxic precursors and reagents, e.g. foodstuff via a simple technology that does not rely on the use of hazardous chemicals yet produces materials of high quality. Here, we report an environmentally friendly, low cost reduced graphene oxide-silver-silver oxide nanocomposite with strong photocatalytic, antioxidant and antibacterial activity for environmental remediation. The reduced graphene oxide (FRGO) is synthesized from edible sunflower oil via a simple flame synthesis method. Next, silver nanoparticles (Ag/AgO/Ag2O) are produced by phytochemical reduction of AgNO3 using a reducing agent based on flavonoids from Coleus aromaticus (Mexican mint), also used in food industry. Thus-obtained FRGO-Ag/AgO/Ag2O composite is characterized using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The degradation of anionic textile dye Methylene blue (MB) is used as a measure of photocatalytic activity of FRGO and FRGO/Ag/AgO/Ag2O, with solution pH, initial dye concentration, and quantity of the catalyst considered as influencing factors. FRGO-Ag/AgO/Ag2O composites show strong antioxidant activity, with improved radical inhibition as well as dye degradation properties when compared to pristine FRGO.

Fabrication of trimodal porous silica/g-C[formula omitted]N[formula omitted] nanotubes for efficient visible light photocatalytic reduction of CO[formula omitted] to ethanol

The novel composite photocatalyst of trimodal porous silica (TPS)/g-C3N4 nanotubes was fabricated via a two-step hydrothermal synthesis method with intermediate pretreatment. The TPS was extracted from rice husk, which is agricultural waste, to further reduce the cost of photocatalyst preparation. A series of characterization results, including X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, N2 adsorption–desorption, and pore size analysis, illustrated the properties of crystal, pore structure, and morphology of the composite photocatalyst. The TPS/g-C3N4 presented a hollow tubular shape with a large surface area and CO2 adsorption capacity, so there were more catalytic active reaction sites. The photocatalytic activity measurement was operated, and only ethanol was detected when g-C3N4 NT and composite TGNT were used as photocatalysts. In particular, the ethanol yield of TGNT2 was 196μm/g, and after 10 cycles of running, the photocatalytic activity decreased by less than 5%. UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra, photoluminescence spectra, and photoelectrochemical analysis revealed the mechanism of the photocatalytic activity enhancement from the aspects of visible light absorption, photo-generated electron–hole pair separation and transfer, and charges recombination. It theoretically explained the prospect of this fabrication strategy. It demonstrated that TGNT is a low-cost, stable, efficient, and promising photocatalyst to reduce CO2 to ethanol under visible light.

Scaling-up photocatalytic activity of CdS from nanorods to nanowires for the MB degradation

The development of a scalable and facile method for the synthesis of visible light driven photocatalytic materials to degrade toxic organic dyes is highly challenging and essential. In this regards, cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanorods and nanowires with controlled aspect ratio, grain size, surface area, and bandgap were synthesized by a simple solvothermal method, and their photocatalytic performances were exploited for the photo-degradation of methylene blue (MB) under simulated solar light. Extensive structural characterizations to identify the origin of the activities were performed. The photocatalytic activity measurements showed that the degradation of MB was 94.41%, 97.24%, 97.88%, and 99.82% for CdS prepared by following four different synthesis routes and increasing trend showed a correlation with the nanostructure morphology changing from nanorod and nanowires with increasing aspect ratio. It has been found that CdS nanowires show more pronounced photocatalytic activity due to the efficient separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs induced by increased the aspect ratio and higher active surface area.

An environmentally friendly titania–silica core–shell nanoparticles coating for protection of tiled facade of cultural-historical buildings

The purpose of the current research was to synthesize and characterize a hydrophobic ultraviolet (UV) absorbent coating for protection of tiled facade of cultural-historical buildings. Considering the environmental and conservational issues for such applications, using toxic materials is limited. A silicone-based nanocomposite coating was prepared in which organically modified silicates (ormosil) and titania–silica core–shell nanoparticles were used as matrix and reinforcing phase, respectively. Nanocomposite coatings were prepared by sol–gel method. Hydroxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS-OH) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) were used to form the ormosil matrix. Titania nanoparticles in anatase crystalline phase were used. To control their photocatalytic activity, silica–titania core–shell nanoparticles were prepared. Nanocomposite coatings were applied on microscope slides and historic tiles by dip-coating and simple brushing. The coatings were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), water contact angle measurements and photocatalytic activity measurements. The results revealed that a transparent hydrophobic coating of prepared ormosils could obtain by adding a maximum amount of 20 wt% of PDMS-OH to the initial sols without addition of highly toxic solvents and catalysts. The FT-IR spectra of ormosil gels exhibited Si–O–Si bond corresponding to silica gels. It also showed that PDMS formed covalent bonds to silica networks. The XRD patterns showed that titania maintained its anatase crystalline structure after core–shell treatment. TEM images of core–shell treated nanoparticles illustrated the formation of continuous silica shell with less than 4 nm thickness around titania cores. Water contact angle measurements on tiles showed an increase in contact angle from 30° to 97° after coating. The results of UV–Vis spectrophotometry confirmed that the continuous silica layer acted as a barrier between photocatalytic titania and Methylene blue. Overall, the best composition for obtaining an environmentally friendly, transparent, hydrophobic, and UV absorbing nanocomposite coating could contain 20 wt% of PDMS-OH and about 0.025 wt% of silica–titania core–shell nanoparticles.

A facile synthesis of brown anatase TiO2 rich in oxygen vacancies and its visible light photocatalytic property

In this report, we present a facile approach for the synthesis of a brown TiO2 material rich in oxygen vacancies under atmospheric conditions with titanium tetrachloride, oxalic acid and anhydrous ethanol as raw materials. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance (UV–vis DRS), Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), High resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman. The visible light photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by degrading of methylene blue solution. XRD and Raman results showed that the brown TiO2 was anatase TiO2. XPS and EPR indicated the presence of abundant oxygen vacancies in the brown TiO2. UV–vis DRS illustrated that the brown TiO2 had a strong absorption in the visible light region. The photocatalytic activity measurement indicated that the visible light photocatalytic performance of the brown TiO2 was excellent. The surface oxygen vacancies played a key role for the significant enhancement of the brown TiO2 photocatalytic performance.

Green gelatin-assisted: Synthesis of Co3O4NPs@rGO nanopowder for highly efficient magnetically separable methylene orange dye degradation

GO and Co(NO3)2 were respectively used as rGO and Co3O4 precursors for preparing magnetically separable Co3O4NPs attached Co3O4NPs@rGO nanocomposites by a straightforward sol–gel technique. To characterize the nanocomposite materials, FESEM, EDX, elemental mapping, XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, UV–vis, VSM and BET were employed. When exposed to UV rays, the nanocomposite showed extraordinary photocatalytic degradation of MO dye. According to the measurements of photocatalytic activity, the highly efficient photocatalytic efficiency of the nanocomposite could be attributed to preventing electron-hole recombination by highly effective electron transfer between rGO and semiconductor NPs. The nanocomposite succeeded in the efficient degradation of MO dye, even after five photocatalytic cycles.

Visible-Light Activation of Photocatalytic for Reduction of Nitrogen to Ammonia by Introducing Impurity Defect Levels into Nanocrystalline Diamond.

Nitrogen impurity has been introduced in diamond film to produce a nitrogen vacancy center (NV center) toward the solvated electron-initiated reduction of N2 to NH3 in liquids, giving rise to extend the wavelength region beyond the diamond’s band. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction demonstrate the formation of the nanocrystalline nitrogen-doped diamond with an average diameter of ten nanometers. Raman spectroscopy and PhotoLuminescence (PL) spectrum show characteristics of the NV0 and NV− charge states. Measurements of photocatalytic activity using supraband (λ < 225 nm) gap and sub-band gap (λ > 225 nm) excitation show the nitrogen-doped diamond significantly enhanced the ability to reduce N2 to NH3 compared to the polycrystalline diamond and single crystal diamond (SCD). Our results suggest an important process of internal photoemission, in which electrons are excited from negative charge states into conduction band edges, presenting remarkable photoinitiated electrons under ultraviolet and visible light. Other factors, including transitions between defect levels and processes of reaction, are also discussed. This approach can be especially advantageous to such as N2 and CO2 that bind only weakly to most surfaces and high energy conditions.

Synthesis of carbon nitride in moist environments: A defect engineering strategy toward superior photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract Intimate understanding of the synthesis-structure–activity relationships is an accessible pathway to overcome the intrinsic challenges of carbon nitride (g-C3N4) photocatalysts. This work looks in the effects of humidity of the synthesis process to the morphology, chemical structure, band structure as well as the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 materials. Four g-C3N4 samples were prepared by heating melem in four gas environments: dry Ar, dry Air, moist Ar and moist Air. The photocatalytic activity measurements revealed that the samples synthesized in moist inert and oxidic gases environments displayed 20 and 10 times the photocatalytic H2 evolution activity of the samples synthesized in dry inert and oxidic gases environments, respectively. The reasons for this remarkable variety in photocatalytic activities had been through investigated. After all, the terminations of the carbon vacancies were identified as the dominant factor in enhancing H2 evolution performance. The work here thus demonstrating an example of defect engineering.

Elucidation of the enhanced photoactivity of melon calcined with MoO3

The charge separation efficiency of melon, a linear polymer of carbon nitride, is a key to enhancing its photoactivity. MoO3 is known to be an efficient co-catalyst to improve the charge separation efficiency. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the enhanced photoactivity of melon calcined with MoO3, the electronic structure of the interface at which melon and MoO3 are in direct contact has been investigated by ultraviolet and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The samples were further characterized via photocatalytic activity measurements, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Excellent photodegradation ability of an organic compound was observed for the melon:MoO3 sample prepared via calcination at 400 °C for 3 h, which had a blue-black color. From the obtained results, the origin of the high photoactivity of melon:MoO3 composites is consistently explained by taking account of gradient of energy levels in the heterojunction and the states of the oxygen vacancies in MoO3.

Synthesis and characterization of type-II p(CuxSey)/n(g-C3N4) heterojunction with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic performance for degradation of dye pollutants

The current work investigated a synergetic effect of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) with different concentrations (5, 10, 1nd 15 w%) on the visible-light photocatalytic activity of the copper-selenide (CuxSey) nanostructures. Morphology and structure of the nanostructures were CuSe hexagonal nanodiscs decorated with Cu3Se2 nanoparticles (NPs). UV–vis spectra showed a higher absorption intensity for the CuxSey/g-C3N4 nanocomposites. Mott-Schottky (MS) experiments indicated a p-type behavior for the CuxSey nanostructures forming a p-n heterojunction with n-type g-C3N4. The photocatalytic activity measurements showed that the g-C3N4 with a 5% concentration had a significant synergetic role to improve the photocatalytic performance of the nanostructures. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) indicated the samples included mesostructure but the g-C3N4 could not improve their textural properties. The Fermi level offset of the p-n heterojunction led to an internal electric field caused the electrons and holes to move in opposite directions. Thus we encountered with a strong electron-hole separation in this heterojunction. This was the most important factor to enhance the photocatalytic performance of the CuxSey/g-C3N4. Finally, the examination of the photocatalytic activity showed that the hydroxyl radicals (OH) were the most important factors during the redox process of the dye.

High-efficiency carrier separation heterostructure improve the photocatalytic hydrogen production of sulfide

Loading co-catalyst is one of the essential ways to strengthen the performance of photocatalyst. Here, a novel non-precious metal co-catalyst Ti2C/TiO2 was successfully synthesized and Zn0.5Cd0.5S nanoparticle grown on the surface of Ti2C/TiO2 equably. In our work, 0.01 g photocatalysts were used in photocatalytic activity measurement. Zn0.5Cd0.5S/Ti2C/TiO2 composite (2 wt% Ti2C/TiO2) exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity and the H2 yield is 32.57 mmol/g−1/h−1 under visible light irradiation. The photoelectrochemical results reveal that Ti2C/TiO2 could improve the separation of the photo-induced carriers in Zn0.5Cd0.5S/Ti2C/TiO2 heterojunction. And DFT calculations demonstrate that the Gibbs free energy of oxygen-terminated Ti2C and TiO2 are much lower than that of Zn0.5Cd0.5S. Therefore, the Ti2C/TiO2 has an active impact on improving the H2 production of Zn0.5Cd0.5S. This study provides a new way to explore the application of inexpensive co-catalysts on a large scale.