Zn0.5Cd0.5S/MIL-125-NH2(Ti) nanocomposites: Highly efficient and stable photocatalyst for hydrogen production under visible light

Hydrogen production by photocatalysis under visible light irradiation is a pivotal means of obtaining hydrogen. In this study, Zn0.5Cd0.5S was studied to have optimal hydrogen production performance among different zinc-cadmium ratios of ZnxCd1-xS, and a series of Zn0.5Cd0.5S/MIL-125-NH2(Ti) composites with different MIL-125-NH2(Ti) contents were prepared by simple ultrasonic method. When the percentage of addition of MIL-125-NH2(Ti) was 40%, the optimum hydrogen production rate was 92,498 mu mol h(-1)g(-1), and the photocatalytic activity was still stable even after 16 h. The mechanism investigations demonstrated that this excellent activity was owing to enhanced visible light absorption intensity, extremely efficient electron transfer and proper conduction band position. This work provides new insights into highly efficient and stable photocatalyst in hydrogen production from water without noble metal doping.