Three-dimensional NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+ hexagonal prisms coupled with ZnIn2S4 nanosheets for boosting near-infrared photocatalytic H2 evolution

Most of the solar spectrum is the near-infrared (NIR) light region, which is rarely studied in the field of photocatalysis. Herein, ZnIn2S4 nanosheets were coated on the surface of NaYF:Yb3+/Tm3+ hexagonal prisms to prepared NaYF:Yb3+/Tm3+@ZnIn2S4 (NYF@ZIS) composite for photocatalytic H2 evolution under NIR irradiation. Performance test exhibits the hydrogen production rate of NYF@ZIS is 17.81 mu mol/g/h, which is better than the previously reported NIR-driven photocatalysts. The excellent NIR photocatalytic H2 evolution performance is mainly due to the combination the NYF hexagonal prisms with up-conversion property and ZIS nanosheets, which not only relieves the agglomeration of ZIS nanosheets, but also transforms the NIR into UV-vis light through the energy resonance transfer process, thus achieving NIR-driven photocatalytic H2 evolution in the NYF@ZIS system. This work not only broadens the light absorption range of ZIS photocatalyst to NIR light region for water splitting, but also provides more possibilities to utilize and convert solar energy.

Automated summary

In this study, a new photocatalytic material NYF@ZIS for hydrogen production under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation was developed by coating ZnIn2S4 nanosheets on the surface of NaYF:Yb3+/Tm3+ hexagonal prisms. The results showed that NYF@ZIS exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance and outperformed previously reported NIR-driven photocatalysts.