Boosting H2 Production over C60‐Mediated NH2‐MIL‐125(Ti)/Zn0.5Cd0.5S S‐Scheme Heterojunction via Enhanced Interfacial Carrier Separation

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2021-10, Vol.17 (39), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Li, Chunxue, Liu, Xiaoteng, Huo, Pengwei, Yan, Yongsheng, Liao, Guangfu, Ding, Guixiang, Liu, Chunbo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: C 60‐mediated NH 2‐MIL‐125(Ti)/Zn 0.5Cd 0.5S; Charge efficiency; Current carriers; Heterojunctions; Hydrogen evolution; interfacial charge carrier separation; Light irradiation; Nanotechnology; Photocatalysis; Photocatalysts; photocatalytic H 2 evolution; Separation; strong redox abilities; S‐scheme heterojunction
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202102539

Improving greatly the separation efficiency of interfacial charge carrier is a major challenge in photocatalysis. Herein, a new class of C60‐mediated NH2‐MIL‐125(Ti)/Zn0.5Cd0.5S S‐scheme heterojunction with enhanced interfacial charge carrier separation is designed and synthesized. The constructed S‐scheme heterojunction thermodynamically favors photocatalytic H2 evolution because of the large driving force resulting from its strong redox abilities. As a consequence, the optimum proportion of C60‐mediated NH2‐MIL‐125(Ti)/Zn0.5Cd0.5S S‐scheme heterojunction displays comparable H2 evolution activity with a rate of 7825.20 µmol h−1 g−1 under visible light irradiation, which is about 93.05 times, 6.38 times and 2.65 times higher than that of 2% C60/NH2‐MIL‐125(Ti), Zn0.5Cd0.5S and 45% NH2‐MIL‐125(Ti)/Zn0.5Cd0.5S, and outperforms the majority of the previously reported MOFs‐based photocatalysts. Spectroscopic characterizations and theory calculations indicate that the S‐scheme heterojunction can powerfully promote the separation of photogenerated carriers. This work offers a new insight for future design and development of highly active MOFs‐based photocatalysts. C60‐mediated NH2‐MIL‐125(Ti)/Zn0.5Cd0.5S S‐scheme heterojunction with enhanced interfacial charge carrier separation is designed and synthesized. The NH2‐MIL‐125(Ti)/2% C60/Zn0.5Cd0.5S‐45 S‐scheme heterojunction displays comparable H2 evolution activity with a rate of 7825.20 µmol h−1 g−1 under visible light irradiation, and its apparent quantum yield (AQY) reaches 18.9% at 420 nm, which outperforms the majority of the previously reported metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs)‐based photocatalysts.