Synthesize magnetic ZnFe2O4@C/Cd0.9Zn0.1S catalysts with S-scheme heterojunction to achieve extraordinary hydrogen production efficiency

Dafeng Zhang; Dong Zhang; Shikai Wang; Hengshuai Li; Junchang Liu; Xipeng Pu; Peixian Chen; Ran Qin; Haiquan Hu; Peiqing Cai

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2023.11.159

Synthesize magnetic ZnFe₂O₄@C/Cd_0.9Zn_0.1S catalysts with S-scheme heterojunction to achieve extraordinary hydrogen production efficiency

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2024 Mar:657:672-683. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.11.159. Epub 2023 Dec 1.

Authors

Dafeng Zhang¹, Dong Zhang², Shikai Wang¹, Hengshuai Li², Junchang Liu¹, Xipeng Pu³, Peixian Chen¹, Ran Qin¹, Haiquan Hu², Peiqing Cai⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Energy Storage and Novel Cell Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, PR China.
² School of Physics Science and Information Technology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Optical Communication Science and Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, PR China.
³ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Energy Storage and Novel Cell Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, PR China. Electronic address: xipengpu@hotmail.com.
⁴ College of Optical and Electronic Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, PR China.

PMID: 38071816
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.11.159

Abstract

Suppressing the electron-hole recombination rate of catalyst legitimately is one of the effective strategies to improve photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Herein, carbon-coated metal oxide, ZnFe₂O₄@C (ZFO@C), nanoparticles were synthesized and employed to couple with quadrupedal Cd_0.9Zn_0.1S (CZS) via an ordinary ultrasonic self-assembly method combined with calcination to form a novel ZFO@C/CZS catalyst with step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunction. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was conducted to verify the enhanced photoactivity of ZFO@C/CZS. The optimal ZFO@C/CZS exhibits an extraordinary photocatalytic HER rate of 111.3 ± 0.9 mmol g^-1 h^-1 under visible-light irradiation, corresponding to an apparent quantum efficiency as high as (76.2 ± 0.9)% at 450 nm. Additionally, the as-synthesized ZFO@C/CZS composite exhibits high stability and recyclability. The excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance should arise from the formed S-scheme heterojunction and the unique ZFO@C core-shell structure, which inhibit electron hole recombination as well as provide more reactive sites. The pathway of S-scheme charge transfer was validated through density functional theory calculations and electrochemical measurements. This work provides a rational strategy for the synthesis of unique magnetic S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts for water splitting under visible light irradiation.

Keywords: H(2) evolution; Photocatalysts; S-scheme; ZnFe(2)O(4)@C/Cd(0.9)Zn(0.1)S.