Superiority of graphene over carbon analogs for enhanced photocatalytic H2-production activity of ZnIn2S4

• Published in: Applied catalysis. B, Environmental Environmental, 2017, Vol.206, p.344-352
• Main Authors: Xia, Yang, Li, Qin, Lv, Kangle, Tang, Dingguo, Li, Mei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon analogs; Graphene; Hydrogen production; Photocatalyst; ZnIn2S4
• ISSN: 0926-3373; 1873-3883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2017.01.060

[Display omitted] Two-dimensional RGO in the composite inhibited self-assembling of ZnIn2S4 nanosheets into microspheres due to steric hindrance and thus exposed relatively larger active area for photocatalysis than CQDs and CNTs. •Effects of carbon analogs on photoactivity of ZnIn2S4 were contrastively studied.•The involved carbon analogs included RGO, CQDs, and CNTs.•RGO manifested its superiority in enhancing photoactivity of ZIS for H2 production.•Two-dimensional RGO inhibited self-assembling of ZIS nanosheets into microspheres.•RGO in the composites exposed relatively larger active area than CQDs and CNTs. Graphene and its derivative reduced graphene oxide (RGO) have been widely considered to be a miracle modifier for most semiconductor photocatalysts over the past decade. However, the underlying advantage of graphene over its carbon analogs was rarely studied under the same experimental conditions to reveal its uniqueness. In this study, the promotion effect of RGO on ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) semiconductor photocatalyst was systemically compared with that of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). According to the property–photoactivity correlation analysis, the primary roles of these carbon analogs displayed an obvious dissimilarity. Among them, RGO manifested its superiority in enhancing the photoactivity of ZIS for hydrogen production from water splitting via controlling the morphology and boosting the charge carrier transferring. Our work revealed the exact contributions of different carbon materials to the promoted physicochemical properties and photocatalytic H2–production activity of ZIS semiconductor, and further affirmed the superiority of RGO over its carbon analogs in the construction of high–efficiency carbon–semiconductor based composite photocatalysts.