Step-scheme porous g-C3N4/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA composites for efficient and stable photocatalytic H2 production

In recent years, environmental pollution and energy crisis have become increasingly serious issues owing to the burning of fossil fuels. Among the many technologies, decomposition of water to produce hydrogen has attracted much attention because of its sustainability and non-polluting characteristic. However, highly efficient decomposition of water that is driven by visible light is still a challenge. Herein, we report the large-scale preparation of step-scheme porous graphite carbon nitride/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-diethylenetriamine (Pg-C3N4/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA) composite by a facile solvothermal method. It was found by UV-vis spectroscopy that 15%Pg-C3N4/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA exhibited suitable visible absorption edge and band gap for water decomposition. The hydrogen production rate of 15%Pg-C3N4/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA composite was 6.69 mmol g(-1) h(-1), which was 16.73, 1.61, and 1.44 times greater than those of Pg-C3N4, CdS-DETA, and Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA, respectively. In addition, 15%Pg-C3N4/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA composite displayed excellent photocatalytic stability, which was maintained for seven cycles of photocatalytic water splitting test. We believe that 15%Pg-C3N4/Zn0.2Cd0.8S-DETA composite can be a valuable guide for the development of solar hydrogen production applications in the near future. (C) 2020, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.