Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (1): 193-204.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(20)63584-7

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MoS2/Zn3In2S6 composite photocatalysts for enhancement of visible light-driven hydrogen production from formic acid

Sujuan Zhang, Shixiang Duan, Gaoli Chen, Sugang Meng, Xiuzhen Zheng, You Fan, Xianliang Fu, Shifu Chen*()   

  1. Key Laboratory of Clean Energy and Green Circulation, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, Anhui, China
  • Received:2020-02-23 Accepted:2020-04-13 Online:2021-01-18 Published:2021-01-18
  • Contact: Shifu Chen
  • About author:*Tel: +86-561-3802061; Fax: +86-561-3090518; E-mail: chshifu@chnu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(51972134);National Natural Science Foundation of China(51472005);National Natural Science Foundation of China(51772118);Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province for Distinguished Young Scholars(1808085J24);Project of Anhui Province for Excellent Young Talents in Universities(gxyq2019029);Natural Science Foundation of Educational Committee of Anhui Province(KJ2019A0602);Natural Science Foundation of Educational Committee of Anhui Province(KJ2018A0387)

Abstract:

Enhancing the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers is propitious for the promotion of photocatalytic hydrogen production from formic acid decomposition. Herein, MoS2/Zn3In2S6 (MoS2/ZIS6) composite photocatalysts containing varying mass percentages of MoS2 were obtained by a straightforward synthetic method. The results confirmed that MoS2, as a cocatalyst, markedly promoted the photogenerated charge separation efficiency and visible light-driven hydrogen production activity of ZIS6 (λ > 400 nm). Specifically, the as-prepared 0.5% MoS2/ZIS6 photocatalyst exhibited the highest photocatalytic hydrogen production rate (74.25 µmol·h-1), which was approximately 4.3 times higher than that of ZIS6 (17.47 µmol·h -1). The excellent performance of the 0.5% MoS2/ZIS6 photocatalyst may be due to the fact that MoS2 has a low Fermi energy level and can thus enrich photogenerated electrons from ZIS6, and furthermore reduce H+ derived from formic acid, to form hydrogen. The structure and morphology of the MoS2/ZIS6 photocatalysts and the reactive species were determined by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy, among others; a plausible mechanistic rationale is discussed based on the results.

Key words: Hydrogen production, Zn3In2S6, Formic acid, MoS2, Photocatalysis