Excellent anti-photocorrosion and hydrogen evolution activity of ZnIn2S4-based photocatalysts: In-situ design of photogenerated charge dynamics

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Switzerland : 1996), 2023-10, Vol.473, p.145430, Article 145430
• Main Authors: Huang, Fei, Li, Zhen, Xu, Yifeng, Yan, Aihua, Zhang, Tongyang, Wang, Quande, Li, Shihang, Lu, Shijian, Zhao, Wenxue, Gao, Ye, Zhang, Jixu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-photocorrosion; Hole-extracting capability; p-n-n-Type heterojunctions; Photocatalytic hydrogen production; ZnIn2S4
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2023.145430

Novel ternary Ni(OH)2/NiIn2S4/ZnIn2S4 composites combined p-n-type heterojunction with II-type heterojunction were synthesized for the first time and used as efficient visible-light-driven photocatalysts for hydrogen production. Benefiting from the synergistic effect, favorable multi-component features and optimized charge dynamics, the ternary composites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production activity and anti-photocorrosion performance. This work may provide a deep insight into the photocorrosion mechanism of sulfides and open a new opportunity for the development of highly-efficient and durable photocatalytic water splitting system. [Display omitted] •NOH/NIS/ZIS composites were prepared by a solvothermal/photochemical method.•An in-situ transition of charge transport path was designed and fulfilled.•The optimized charge dynamics enables a 10.6-fold enhanced photoactivity.•The photocorrosion was markedly alleviated due to efficient hole extraction. Sluggish elimination of photogenerated holes remains a bottleneck problem that usually causes low-utilization efficiency towards photogenerated electron and serious photocorrosion in photocatalytic water splitting system. To overcome these limitations, herein, a p-n-n-type Ni(OH)2/NiIn2S4/ZnIn2S4 (NOH/NIS/ZIS) heterojunction was constructed through an in-situ photochemical transition. On account of the favorable multi-component features, integrating p-n-type NOH/NIS heterojunction into II-type NIS/ZIS heterojunction was an efficient strategy to facilitate the carrier separation, hole-extraction and charge utilization. Consequently, p-n-n-type NOH/NIS/ZIS hybrids exhibited excellent visible-light-driven hydrogen production performance. The highest hydrogen production rate of 5448.3 μmol·h−1·g−1 was 10.6 times higher than that of pure ZIS (516.0 μmol·h−1·g−1). More importantly, successive hole-extraction markedly enhanced the anti-photocorrosion and long-term stability of ZIS. The repeated experiments exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic activity of 106.0 % within four cyclic experiments, far higher than that (−28.7%) of pure ZIS. Our findings may provide a deep insight into the photocorrosion mechanism of sulfides and open a new opportunity for the development of highly-efficient and durable photocatalytic water splitting system.