Co–P bond effect on an MOF-derived Co9S8hollow polyhedron supported Ni2P co-catalyst for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

The development of new, efficient noble-metal-free photocatalysts is of great significance for the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction. Herein, Co9S8 with a hollow polyhedral structure was synthesized by in situ sulfurization of ZIF-67, and subsequently, Co9S8@Ni2P composite photocatalytic materials were prepared by loading Ni2P on the surface of Co9S8 through a solvothermal method based on a morphology regulation strategy. The design of the 3D@0D spatial structure of Co9S8@Ni2P is favorable for the formation of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution active sites. Due to the excellent metal conductivity of Ni2P, Ni2P as a cocatalyst can accelerate the separation of photogenerated electrons from holes in Co9S8, thus providing a large number of available photogenerated electrons for photocatalytic reactions. It is worth mentioning that a Co-P chemical bond is formed between Co9S8 and Ni2P, which plays an active role in the transport of photogenerated electrons. The densities of states of Co9S8 and Ni2P were determined by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The reduction of the hydrogen evolution overpotential and the formation of efficient charge-carrier transport channels on Co9S8@Ni2P were confirmed by a series of electrochemical and fluorescence tests. This study provides a new idea for the design of highly active noble-metal-free materials for the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction.