Triethanolamine Concentration Research Articles

Chemically Synthesized Hierarchical Flower like ZnO Microstructures

Abstract In the present study, we have deposited hierarchical flower-like microstructured zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films directly on a glass substrate by using the simplistic aqueous chemical route for different concentrations of triethanolamine (TEA) which acted like a complexing agent. The as-synthesized ZnO thin films were subsequently annealed at 300 °C and are characterized with characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), photoluminescence (PL), and electrical resistivity. The hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure of as-synthesized ZnO thin films was confirmed by their XRD patterns and the well-resolved ZnO flowers-like morphology was revealed from the FESEM micrographs. From FESEM images it can be seen that the ZnO flower is composed of dozens of nanorods originating from the same core in a symmetric fashion with an average diameter of around 180-300 nm. The flower-like morphology was obtained at 0.3 M TEA concentration. Due to its hierarchical structure, the deposited ZnO thin films were employed for multiple applications such as gas sensing and anti-microbial activity. The ZnO thin films with micro-flowers like morphology showed the maximum gas sensor sensitivity ∼64.50 at 150 °C for 100 ppm of NO2 gas. Moreover, the bacteria were completely destroyed in the presence of as-deposited ZnO thin films.

Quantification of triethanolamine through measurement of catalytic current in alkaline iron-d-gluconate solution

Triethanolamine is widely used in cosmetics and detergent formulations. Through its negative redox potential of −1050 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl, 3 M KCl) the Fe(II/III)-triethanolamine complex also is of interest as electrolyte in redox-flow batteries. Thus an analytical method to determine triethanolamine concentrations in complex formulations is of distinct technical value. In cyclic voltammetry a catalytic current is observed when Fe(III)-triethanolamine complexes are reduced in presence of an excess Fe(III)-d-gluconate. The catalytical regeneration of the Fe(III)-triethanolamine complex occurs at its characteristic cathodic peak potential (Ep)c of −1050 mV and thus permits analytical determination of low triethanolamine concentrations. In CV experiments a linear relationship between triethanolamine concentration and (Ep)c at −1050 mV was observed for triethanolamine concentrations between 0.05 and 1 mM in an electrolyte containing 15 mM Fe(III)-d-gluconate and 0.4 M NaOH. As an example, electrolytes from an all‑iron redox-flow cell were analysed for possible transfer of triethanolamine through the ion exchange membrane. The standard addition method was used to minimise matrix effects on the determination of the cathodic peak currents (Ip)c. The new method permits a direct analysis of triethanolamine concentration without extensive sample preparation or highly specialised equipment. This makes the technique useful as a routine method for triethanolamine analysis in a wide range of technical applications.

Effect of suspension medium on the characteristics of electrophoretically deposited bioactive glass coatings on titanium substrate

Bioactive glasses (BGs) have been extensively investigated for use in medical applications due to their excellent biocompatibility and bioactivity. In this work, synthesized BG nanoparticles were deposited on titanium substrate by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method. Suspensions of BG nanoparticles were prepared in different solvents (methanol, ethanol, isopropanol and butanol) using triethanolamine (TEA) as dispersing additive. Adsorption of TEA on BG particles increased with molecular size of alcohols; so the optimum concentration of TEA obtained at less amounts in larger molecular size alcohols: 0.4, 0.2 and 0.13Vol% for ethanol, isopropanol and butanol based suspensions, respectively. Suspension medium had the great effect on the microstructure of obtained coatings. Microstructures with mostly coarse, mixed (fine and coarse) and fine particles were obtained using ethanol, isopropanol and butanol based suspensions, respectively. Among the suspensions, the isopropanol based one with optimum TEA amount had the highest stability. Also the coatings obtained from isopropanol based suspension had the relatively high sinterability and roughness. So, the isopropanol based coating was chosen as the optimum one. The amorphous structure of optimum BG coating was survived even after sintering at 800 °C. The optimum coating showed good fibroblast cell adhesion and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

Electrophoretic deposition of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles: effect of suspension composition on the electrochemical potential difference at deposit/suspensions interface

Suspensions of HA nanoparticles were prepared in different alcohols using triethanolamine (TEA) as dispersant. Optimum concentration of TEA increased with molecular weight of alcohol: 0.67, 0.67 and 8 ml L−1, respectively, in methanolic, ethanolic and butanolic suspensions. Current density increased during EPD from TEA containing methanolic and ethanolic suspensions due to desorption of H+TEA ions from deposited HA nanoparticles under the influence of applied electric field. Particles were detached from deposits into the suspensions at the interface after switching off the voltage due to the generation of an electrochemical potential difference there. The rate of detachment decreased continuously in all methanolic suspensions and ethanolic suspensions with 4 ml L−1 ≤ TEA due to the continuous reduction in the electrochemical potential difference at the interface caused by the effective diffusion of high concentration of free TEA and H+TEA species present in the liquid phase of deposits into the suspension. However, the rate of detachment remained constant in ethanolic suspensions with TEA < 4 ml L−1 and in all butanolic suspensions. The mass flow of TEA and H+TEA species from deposit into the suspensions is negligible in these suspensions so that the electrochemical potential difference and so detachment rate remain constant.

Effects of complexing agent on earth-abundant environmentally friendly Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film solar cells prepared by sol–gel deposition

Solution-processed Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin film growth parameters using complexing agent triethanolamine (TEA) have been optimized. Effects of TEA on structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of CZTS thin films were systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy of annealed CZTS thin films confirmed a pure kesterite structure with optimized TEA concentration. Surface morphology of CZTS films were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope, which revealed a smooth surface and systematic grain growth formation with varying TEA concentrations. p-Type conductivity was confirmed using Hall measurements and the effect of TEA concentration on electrical properties is investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated absence of secondary phases and stoichiometric atomic ratios of multicationic quaternary CZTS thin film grown without sulphurization. UV–Vis spectra revealed a direct energy band gap ranging from 1.90 to 1.40 eV, which was found to depend upon the TEA concentration. Such band gap values are optimum for semiconductor material as an absorber layer of thin film solar cells. The CZTS thin film was further used for the fabrication of a solar cell of structure SLG/FTO/ZnO/CZTS/Al. The best solar cell showed a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 10.78 mA/cm2, open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.27 V, fill factor (FF) of 37% and power conversion efficiency (η) of 1.08% under air mass 1.5 (100 mW cm−2) illumination.

Polyester thin film composite nanofiltration membranes via interfacial polymerization: influence of five synthesis parameters on water permeability

Polyester thin film composite nanofiltration membranes were synthesized on the polyethersulfone (PES) support via the interfacial polymerization between triethanolamine (TEOA) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC). Water permeability measurement were conducted on 16 polyester thin film composite membranes to evaluate the influences and interactions of five synthesis parameters: TEOA concentration (X1), TMC concentration (X2), reaction time (X3), pH of aqueous phase solution (X4), and curing (X5). These parameters were varied simultaneously between two limit levels using fractional factorial design, allowing investigation of parameters with lesser samples as well as statistical analysis of results. The regression model between the response and the parameters were developed and the fitted model were tested with analysis of variance (ANOVA). The R2 for the model was 0.94 implying the predicted values were in reasonable agreement with the experimental data, confirming the high predictability of the applied model. The relative size of effects is visually demonstrated in a Pareto chart. It could be concluded that the significant effects were in the order of X2> X5> X2X5> X3> X1. This study leads up to a regression model that will allow the synthesis of polyester thin film composite membranes via interfacial polymerization with desired water permeability within the range studied.

Electrophoretic deposition of titanium nitride coatings

AbstractElectrophoretic deposition of the titanium nitride (TiN) coatings from suspensions prepared by dispersion of TiN particles in triethanolamine (TEA) containing butanol medium was studied. Effects of the TiN particles concentration (CTiN) on the weight of the deposited coatings, triethanolamine concentration (CTEA=0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 mL/L) on the Zeta potential of the TiN particles, suspension electrical conductivity and pH, as well as effects of the deposition voltage (Vd=60, 90, and 120 V) and time (td =1, 2, and 3 minutes) on the microstructure and thickness of the deposited coatings were investigated. Variations in deposition current density, effective deposition voltage, electrical resistance, and deposited coating weight versus deposition time were recorded. The morphology of the as‐dried coatings was studied using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The results indicated that by increasing the CTiN the weight of deposits increases linearly up to 40 g/L. For suspensions containing CTiN=40 g/L, the optimum CTEA is obtained to be 0.5 mL/L leading to Zeta potential of 43.25 mV. Uniform and crack‐free as‐dried coatings obtained at Vd and td of 90 V and 2 minutes, respectively.

Optimization of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film absorber layer growth without sulphurization using triethanolamine as complexing agent for thin film solar cells applications

Quaternary kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films have been prepared via a simple spin-coating technique based on a sol–gel precursor of 2-methoxyethanol solution with metal salts and thiourea. Solution processed CZTS thin film growth parameters using complexing agent triethanolamine (TEA) have been investigated. Effects of complexing agent TEA on structural, morphological, optical, electrical and photovoltaic properties of CZTS thin films were systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy studies reveal that amorphous nature of CZTS thin film changes into polycrystalline with kesterite crystal structure with optimized TEA concentartion. Surface morphology of CZTS films were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope, which revealed the smooth, uniform, homogeneous and densely packed grains and systematic grain growth formation with varying TEA concentrations. UV–Vis spectra revealed a direct energy band gap ranging from 1.78 to 1.50 eV, which was found to depend upon the TEA concentration. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated stoichiometric atomic ratios of multicationic quaternary CZTS thin film grown without sulphurization. p-type conductivity was confirmed using Hall measurements and the effect of varying concentartion of TEA on electrical and photovoltaic properties are studied. The SLG/FTO/ZnO/CZTS/Al thin film solar cell is fabricated with the CZTS absorber layer grown at optimized TAE concentration of 0.06 M. It shows a power conversion efficiency of 0.87% for a 0.16 cm2 area with Voc = 0.257 mV, Jsc = 8.95 mA/cm2 and FF = 38%.

The role and mechanism of triethanolamine in simultaneous absorption of NOx and SO2 by magnesia slurry combined with ozone gas-phase oxidation

A novel absorption method was developed and used for the simultaneous removal of SO2 and NOx, whereby triethanolamine (TEA)-modified magnesia was utilized as an absorption slurry and combined with gas-phase oxidation by ozone. TEA was first used as the additive to magnesia slurry to facilitating the aqueous absorption of NOx and SO2. The injection of O3 increased the solubility of NOx considerably. Furthermore, the addition of TEA facilitated the absorption of NOx in wet combined desulfurization and denitrification processes. In addition, experiments on operating factors included initial pH, TEA concentration, and the effect of SO2 were performed in this study. The results show that after the addition of TEA to a magnesium-based slurry, the absorption efficiency of NO2 improved to almost 100% under alkaline conditions. However, the improvement effect of TEA was less evident in acidic conditions. Based on studies of operating factors and product analysis, the reaction mechanism of TEA-assisted magnesia slurry absorption was proposed. Under alkaline conditions, TEA served as the radical scavenger, terminated the excessive oxidation of sulfite, and then strongly promoted the reaction between NO2− and SO32−. Furthermore, TEA could react with NO2 and SO2 directly, and its alkalinity was beneficial for the absorption of NO2 and SO2. In acidic conditions, TEA reacted with H+ and formed +H-N(CH2CH2OH)3, and the antioxidant capability of TEA would be lost.

Electrophoretic Deposition of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles from Different Alcoholic Suspensions: Effect of Triethanolamine

The suspensions of HA nanoparticles were prepared in different alcohols using triethanolamine (TEA) as the dispersing additive. It was found that TEA acquires proton from alcohol molecules to generate H+TEA ions with high affinity to adsorption on the surface of HA particles. These ions are adsorbed on the surface of particles and enhances their surface charge and so zeta potential. It was found that the optimum concentration of TEA increases with molecular weight of alcohol. The kinetics of EPD was the fastest from suspensions with optimum concentration of TEA due to the highest zeta potential of particles in them. All coatings had the fine and high quality microstructure.

The Influence of Ethanolamines on the Solvothermal Synthesis of Zinc Oxide: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study

The solvothermal synthesis of ZnO particles from zinc acetylacetonate [Zn(acac)2] in the presence of monoethanolamine (MEA) or triethanolamine (TEA) at 170 °C is reported. The structural, optical and morphological characteristics of ZnO particles have been studied by X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, FE-SEM and TEM/STEM microscopy. The experimental findings are confirmed by means of DFT calculations. On the basis of the results, both experimental and theoretical, the growth mechanism is proposed which initiated the ZnO nucleation process continued by the growth of primary nanoparticles and immediately thereafter the spherical aggregation of ZnO particles. The calculations suggest that the process of ZnO nucleation proceeded mainly through the reaction of small dimers rather than oligomeric or monomeric species. The high chelating efficiency of both ethanolamines towards zinc with tetrahedral geometry is observed, having the same structural motif for the most stable ZnO–MEA and ZnO–TEA dimers. It was found that the way of primary ZnO nanoparticles growth and their spherical aggregation into final particles strongly depend on the type of ethanolamine used and the molar ratio [ethanolamine]/[Zn(acac)2]. The results show that the increase in TEA concentration could potentiate TEA coating on ZnO nanoparticles, which induced the formation of bigger, densely packed spherical aggregates. The reduced band gap energies were noticed with the increased sample microsphere size.

Electrophoretic deposition of hydroxyapatite fiber reinforced hydroxyapatite matrix nanocomposite coatings

Two-component suspensions of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles with spherical (S-HA) and fiber (F-HA) morphologies were prepared in isopropanol using triethanolamine (TEA) as the dispersant. In-situ kinetics of deposition and current density were recorded during EPD at 60V from suspensions with different wt% of F-HA and TEA. f factor decreased against TEA concentration in all suspensions except the one-component suspension of F-HA particles. The detachment of particles from single component F-HA deposits did not occur during EPD due to the mechanical interlocking of F-HA particles in their microstructure. F-HA particles reinforced the coatings and prevented from their cracking during drying by bridging mechanism. S-HA particles infiltrated and filled the pores formed by stacking of the F-HA particles in deposit. S-HA particles were also grafted to F-HA particles in TEA-containing suspensions via hydrogen bonding between TEA molecules adsorbed on the particles. The coating deposited from the suspension with 75wt% of F-HA particles had the best corrosion resistance in SBF solution at 37.5°C.

Synthesis of Nanofiltration Membrane Developed from Triethanolamine (TEOA) and Trimesoyl Chloride (TMC) for Separation of Xylose from Glucose

Synthesis of thin film composite (TFC) nanofilt ration (NF) membrane has experienced tremendous development since the concept of interfacial polymerisation (IP) was first introduced. One of its new application is on the separation of xylose from glucos e in biomass hydrolysate. In this present study, NF TFC membrane has been produced through interfacial poly merisation by manipulation the concentration of triethanolamine (TEOA) at 35 min reaction time with 0. 15 % w/v of trimesoyl chloride (TMC). The membrane was then characterised in term of their chemical and physical properties, and separation performance between xylose and glucose. The growth of thin layer f ilm depends on concentration of TEOA as the monomer and reaction time. As concentration of TEOA and re action time increased, the layer of the TFC becomes thicker thus decreases the permeability of the membrane. Contradicted to this study, the lowest and the highest permeability were recorded at 4 % w/v of TEOA and 8 % w/v of TEOA at reaction time of 35-min in TMC. The TFC membrane prepared with 4 % w/v TEOA has high in permeate flux, resultant in high xylose separation of 1.3. Low permeate flux but moderate xylose separation factor of 0.93 was obtained for the TFC membrane prepared with 8 % w/v TEOA.

Polyester modification through synthesis of copper nanoparticles in presence of triethanolamine optimized with response surface methodology

In this paper, polyester fabric was modified through synthesis and fabrication of Cu/Cu2O nanoparticles using a facile and cost-effective method at boil by chemical reduction through exhaustion route. Triethanolamine (TEA) was used for aminolysis of polyester fabric and pH adjusting, copper sulfate (CuSO4) as metal salt, sodium hypophosphite (SHP) as reducing agent and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as stabilizer. A response surface methodology was also employed to optimize the reaction conditions and study the effects of SHP, PVP and TEA concentrations in the processing. The images of field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), the patterns of energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed successfully synthesis of Cu and Cu2O nanoparticles on the polyester fabric. Further, the thermal behavior of the untreated and treated fabrics was studied by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning colorimetry (DSC). The treated fabrics indicated good properties regarding wettability and flame-retardant along with high tensile strength.

Photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO core–shell nanoparticles with shell thickness as controlling parameter under green environment

Plasmonic Ag/ZnO core–shell nanoparticles have been synthesized via a simple two-step wet chemical method for application in Photocatalysis. The morphology, size, crystal structure, composition and optical properties of the nanoparticles are investigated by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FTIR spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The shell thicknesses are varied by varying the concentration of zinc nitrate hexa-hydrate and triethanolamine. The ZnO shell coating over Ag core enhances the charge separation, whereas the larger shell thickness and increased refractive index of surrounding medium cause red shifts of surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) peak of Ag core. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of Ag/ZnO core–shell show that the larger shell thickness quenches the near band edge UV emission of ZnO. The electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) i.e. Nyquist plots also confirm the higher charge transfer efficiency of the Ag/ZnO core–shell nanoparticles. The Photocatalytic activities of Ag/ZnO core–shell nanoparticles are investigated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under direct sunlight irradiation. Compared to pure ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), Ag/ZnO core–shell NPs display efficient sunlight plasmonic photocatalytic activity because of the influence of SPR of Ag core and the electron sink effect. The photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO core–shell NPs is found to be enhanced with increase in shell thickness.

Remarkable change of structural, optical, photoluminescence and electrical properties of chemically prepared nanocrystalline films of PbS with concentration of triethanolamine (TEA)

Although triethanolamine (TEA) is widely used as complexing agent in the preparation of nanocrystalline PbS thin film by chemical bath deposition method, not enough studies have been reported on how its concentration affects various properties of the films. In the present work, we studied the effect of concentration of TEA on structural, morphological, optical, photoluminescence and electrical conduction properties of the films. We observed that with the increase of molar concentration of TEA—the crystallinity deteriorates with reduced crystallite size and increased strain and dislocation density; the densities of the films have been reduced; the films become non stoichiometric; optically these become more transparent but less reflecting showing prominent blue shift in the optical band gap which increased with the concentration of TEA; the width of the localized states in the band gap has been increased. The refractive index and extinction coefficient of the films are observed to be wavelength dispersive. The refractive index decreases with the increase of TEA complexation. In the NIR region, the extinction coefficient also decreases as concentration of TEA increases. The real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant replicates the refractive index and extinction coefficient curves respectively against wavelength. The PL spectra reveal conduction band to valence band transition with reduced intensity at higher molarity of TEA. The current–voltage measurement shows that the conductivity decreases considerably with the increase of TEA concentration. Our measurement estimated the crystallite size in the range of 29–37.49 nm, strain ~10−3, dislocation density ~1011 cm−2, band gap 0.8–1.55 eV, bandtail width 0.27–0.57 eV, the refractive index 2.3–5.8 and conductivity 0.0011–0.20 (Ωcm)−1.

Formulation and Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antioxidant Polyherbal Lotion

There is increased scientific evidence that plants possess a vast and complex arsenal of active ingredients which have the ability to calm or smooth the skin as well as restore actively, heal and protect the skin. The present work deals with the development and evaluation of the poly herbal lotion containing Trigonella foenum-graecum, Citrus lemon, Matricaria chamomilla and Cymbopogon citrates. Different types of formulations oil in water (O/W) herbal lotions namely F1 to F13 were formulated by incorporating different concentrations of stearic acid and Triethanolamine. Formulation of Triethanolamine and stearic acid was optimized as 2.52:9.35. The prepared lotion was evaluated for its antimicrobial, antioxidant and pharmaceutical parameters. The lotion formulation showed no redness, edema, inflammation and irritation during sensitivity test indication that it is safe to use. Stability studies of the lotion showed that the lotion was stable after three months.Journal of Institute of Science and TechnologyVolume 21, Issue 1, August 2016, Page: 148-156

Morphology transformation of Cu2O by adding TEOA and their antibacterial activity

Cu2O polyhedral particles and hollow spheres were successfully synthesized by adjusting the concentration of triethanolamine (TEOA). The as-prepared samples were structurally characterized by the scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results revealed that the solid polyhedral Cu2O with sizes ranging from 70 to 150 nm was in good crystallization. The diameter of the hollow Cu2O spheres increased to 350–450 nm. It was found that the sizes and morphologies of the products could be significantly affected by the concentration of TEOA. And the morphology of Cu2O transformed from solid polyhedrons to hollow spheres with the further enrichment of TEOA concentration. A possible mechanism was proposed to explain the formation of the hollow Cu2O spheres. In addition, we investigated the antibacterial activities of the samples. It was demonstrated that the hollow Cu2O sphere exhibited better antibacterial activities for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) compared with the solid polyhedral Cu2O.

Synthesis and characterization of polyester thin film composite membrane via interfacial polymerization: Fouling behaviour of uncharged solute

Most hydrolysis studies on biomass in Malaysia produce high amount of xylose and glucose compared to other monosaccharides and most of them are acidic. Thin film composite (TFC) membrane developed via interfacial polymerization using triethanolamine (TEOA) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) as monomers allows separation at low pH to occur without damaging its performance. Comparative studies were carried out on membranes with and without the thin film layer formed via interfacial polymerization on the polyethersulfone (PES) support. The surfaces of the membranes were characterized by field emission scanning electronic microscopy (FESEM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and hydrophilicity via contact angle measurement. In addition, the performance and uncharged solute fouling behaviour of TFC membrane were also investigated. The TFC membrane used for characterization purposes was prepared at TEOA concentration of 4 % w/v in 1 × 10-6 M sodium hydroxide solution, TMC concentration of 0.25 % w/v in pure hexane, reaction time of 45 minutes, and cured at temperature of 60 °C. Characterization results showed a huge different between the synthesized TFC membrane and the un-synthesized PES membrane in term of surface properties and morphology. Nanofiltration results indicate that the formation of thin layer on top of PES support membrane improved the separation performance compared to PES support membrane. The synthesised polyester TFC membrane have irreversible fouling of 11.02 (±5.60) % and reversible fouling of 5.59 % using water as cleaning agent.

Template synthesis of ZnIn2S4 for enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution using triethanolamine as electron donor

A series of ZIS-x [ZIS and x represent the ZnIn2S4 and the addition amount of TEOA (mmol) in the synthesis process, respectively] were synthesized via a hydrothermal method using triethanolamine (TEOA) as a template. The as-synthesized photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) diffuse reflection spectroscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurement. The effects of TEOA on the crystal structures, morphologies and optical properties of ZIS-x products were investigated. The photocatalytic activity was tested in the reaction of H2 evolution from aqueous TEOA solution under visible light irradiation (λ≥420nm). It was found that the activity of ZIS-x synthesized in TEOA solution was higher than that of ZIS-0 synthesized in pure water. This can be attributed to the facts that ZIS-x is composed of single ZnIn2S4 and more TEOA can be adsorbed on ZIS-x surface, which improves the separation of an electron-hole pair. When TEOA was used as an electron donor, it can enhance notably photocatalytic H2 evolution with its simultaneous degradation. The effect of TEOA concentration on the H2 evolution rate is consistent with a Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetic model. The optimal amount of Pt loaded on the photocatalyst is 0.50wt%, and the optimal pH for photocatalytic H2 evolution is 13. On the optimal condition, the rate of hydrogen evolution over ZIS-2.0 is 2 times as high as that of ZIS-0 during 20h irradiation.