Enhanced photocatalytic H2 production performance of CdS hollow spheres using C and Pt as bi-cocatalysts

Photocatalytic H-2 production from water splitting is an effective method to solve energy crisis and environmental pollution simultaneously. Herein, carbon@CdS composite hollow spheres (C@CdS-HS) are fabricated via a facile hydrothermal method using porous carbon hollow spheres (C-HS) as the template. The C@CdS-HS shows an excellent photocatalytic H-2-generation rate of 20.9 mmol h(-1) g(-1) (apparent quantum efficiency of 15.3% at 420 nm), with 1.0 wt% Pt as a cocatalyst under simulated sunlight irradiation; this rate is 69.7, 13.9, and 3.9 times higher than that obtained with pure CdS hollow spheres (CdS-HS), C@CdS-HS, and CdS-HS/Pt, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic H-2-evolution activity of C@CdS-HS/Pt is due to the synergistic effect of C and Pt as the bi-cocatalyst. The C-HS serves not only as an active site provider but also as an electron transporter and reservoir. Moreover, C-HS has a strong photothermal effect that is induced by near infrared light, which kinetically accelerates the H-2-production reaction. Additionally, the underlying charge transfer pathway and process from CdS to C-HS is revealed. This work highlights the potential application of C-HS-based nanocomposites in solar-to-chemical energy conversion. (C) 2021, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

C@CdS-HS, fabricated using C-HS as a template, shows enhanced photocatalytic H-2-generation activity under simulated sunlight irradiation. The synergistic effect of C and Pt as the bi-cocatalyst plays a crucial role in the improved performance. C-HS not only serves as an active site provider, but also functions as an electron transporter and reservoir, with a strong photothermal effect induced by near infrared light.