A comparative study on photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity of synthesis methods of CDs/ZnIn2S4 photocatalysts

Abstract The introduction of carbon materials in photocatalytic systems can significantly enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity. Here, we proposed and fabricated carbon nanodots/Znln2S4 (CDs/ZIS) samples via three methods. The morphology, chemical elements and valence, and photoelectric properties of CDs/ZIS samples were systematically characterized by SEM, TEM, XPS, UV and PL. The photocatalytic H2 production experiments indicate that the photocatalytic performance of all CDs/ZIS samples has been significantly improved, which could be attributed to the fact that serving as an excellent electron acceptor, CDs can accelerate the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes. The samples prepared via one-pot hydrothermal method exhibit the optimal photocatalytic activity and the corresponding H2 production rate of 4.15 mmol g−1.h−1 under visible light irradiation (λ>420 nm), which is about 2.92 times higher than pure ZIS. Our work presented the influence of synthetic method on photoelectric performance and photocatalytic activity of CDs/ZIS nanocomposites, and provided a reliable idea for improving the photocatalytic performance of photocatalyst toward practical applications.