In situ constructing Ni foam supported ZnO-CdS nanorod arrays for enhanced photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical activity

Constructing sustainable and efficient photocatalyst for solar hydrogen evolution via photocatalytic (PC) or photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) water splitting is considered as one of the most potential solutions for the contemporary energy crisis. In this study, we synthesized a film-like photocatalyst ZnO-CdS(Ar)@Ni with one-dimensional (1D) nanorod arrays of ZnO-CdS heterojunction anchoring on three-dimensional (3D) Ni foam. The ZnO-CdS(Ar)@Ni photocatalyst not only exhibited higher PC hydrogen generation rate (16.31 mu mol cm(-2) h(-1)) than that of precursor samples, but could also be used as a photoelectrode to achieve efficient PEC water splitting on the basis of the applied bias photo-to-current conversion efficiency (ABPE) of 2.0% (at -0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl) and the incident photo-to-current efficiency (IPCE) of 35% (at 450 nm), respectively. Such enhanced performances relate to the cohesive combination of ZnO-CdS heterojunction via calcination, more active areas in the 1D nanorod structure combining with 3D Ni foam substrate, and the collection and rapid transfer of electrons within Ni foam. This study demonstrates such a strategy of filmlike photocatalyst construction has great potential for practical utilization in both PC and PEC systems for renewable energy generation. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the construction of a film-like photocatalyst ZnO-CdS(Ar)@Ni, which significantly enhances the hydrogen generation rate and can be used for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting. The enhanced performance is attributed to the unique ZnO-CdS heterojunction structure, the combination of 1D nanorod array with 3D Ni foam substrate, and the efficient electron collection and transfer within the Ni foam.