A novel I-type 0D/0D ZnS/ Ag6Si2O7 heterojunction for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. (April 2023) - Zhu, Kaiwen
Abstract: The rapid recombination of photoinduced charge carriers and poor redox ability seriously hinder the photocatalytic activity. In this study, a novel 0D/0D ZnS/Ag6 Si2 O7 heterojunction photocatalyst was successfully prepared by a simple hydrothermal-calcination method, and its structure, morphology, etc. were characterized. The experimental results show that the photocatalytic performance of pure ZnS nanoparticles is very weak. However, the addition of Ag6 Si2 O7 greatly improves the photocatalytic performance, and the maximum hydrogen evolution within 4 h is 524 μmolg −1 h −1, which is about 5 times of the original ZnS. The enhanced mechanism of high activity and high stability was studied by various characterization techniques. It was revealed that the construction of 0D/0D heterojunction and the close interfacial contact between ZnS and Ag6 Si2 O7 could accelerate the transfer and separation of photoexcited e − -h + pairs, which can also improve its photocatalytic performance. In addition, the reasonable mechanism of improving photocatalytic activity was discussed, which also provides new insights for the design and application of 0D/0D heterojunction photocatalyst in the field of photocatalysis. Highlights: A novel 0D/0D ZnS/Ag6 Si2 O7 heterojunction photocatalyst was prepared by hydrothermal calcination. Ag6 Si2 O7 can improve the absorbing capability of ZnS for the visible light. Ag6 Si2 O7 are conducive to promote photoelectron transfer. ZnS/Ag6 Si2 O7 showed a high stability. The addition of Ag6 Si2 O7 greatly improved the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of ZnS.