Synergistic effect of interstitial phosphorus doping and MoS2 modification over Zn0.3Cd0.7S for efficient photocatalytic H2 production

Zn x Cd 1-x S photocatalysts have been widely investigated due to their diverse morphologies, suitable band gaps/band edge positions, and high electronic mobility. However, the sluggish charge separation and severe charge recombination impede the application of Zn x Cd 1-x S for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, doping of phosphorus (P) atoms into Zn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S has been implemented to elevate S vacancies concentration as well as tune its Fermi level to be located near the impurity level of S vacancies, prolonging the lifetime of photogenerated electrons. Moreover, P doping induces a hybridized state in the bandgap, leading to an imbalanced charge distribution and a localized built-in electric field for effective separation of photogenerated charge carriers. Further construction of intimate heterojunctions between P-Zn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S and MoS 2 accelerates surface redox reaction. Benefiting from the above merits, 1 % MoS 2 /P-Zn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S exhibits a high hydrogen production rate of 30.65 mmol·g −1 ·h −1 with AQE of 22.22 % under monochromatic light at 370 nm, exceeding most Zn x Cd 1-x S based photocatalysts reported so far. This work opens avenues to fabricate examplary photocatalysts for solar energy conversion and beyond.