Visible-light-driven hydrogen production with extremely high quantum efficiency on Pt–PdS/CdS photocatalyst

• Published in: Journal of catalysis 2009-09, Vol.266 (2), p.165-168
• Main Authors: Yan, Hongjian, Yang, Jinhui, Ma, Guijun, Wu, Guopeng, Zong, Xu, Lei, Zhibin, Shi, Jingying, Li, Can
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cadmium sulfide; Catalysis; Chemical reactions; Chemistry; Cocatalyst; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Hydrogen; Hydrogen production; Irradiation; Photocatalysis; Photochemistry; Photosynthesis; Physical chemistry of induced reactions (with radiations, particles and ultrasonics); Quantum efficiency; Reagents; Solar energy; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Ultraviolet radiation
• ISSN: 0021-9517; 1090-2694
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcat.2009.06.024

An artificial photocatalyst, Pt–PdS/CdS with the Pt and PdS, respectively acting as reduction and oxidation cocatalysts, can achieve quantum efficiency up to 93% in photocatalytic H 2 production from Na 2S–Na 2SO 3 aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. To efficiently convert solar energy into chemical energy by artificial photosynthesis, we need to develop visible-light-responsive photocatalysts with a high quantum efficiency (QE). Here we report that an artificial photocatalyst (Pt–PdS/CdS) can achieve a QE up to 93% in photocatalytic H 2 production in the presence of sacrificial reagents under visible light irradiation, and is very stable under the photocatalytic reaction conditions. The extremely high QE could be achieved by loading as low as 0.30 wt% of Pt and 0.13 wt% of PdS as cocatalysts on CdS.