A novel pathway toward efficient boosting of the photocatalytic activity of CdZnS-based photocatalyst for light driven H2 evolution: N-doped C layer as buffer layer between primary catalyst and co-catalyst

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is a promising pathway for green-hydrogen production. Development of efficient photocatalysts is a key for its commercialization. Here, a Cd 0.6 Zn 0.4 S-based photocatalyst containing Cd 0.6 Zn 0.4 S nanoplates and NiO x /Ni nanoparticles embedded in N-doped C layers (CdZnS/Ni@CN) was prepared. Subsequently, its photocatalytic behavior and mechanism were investigated. The results indicate that CdZnS/Ni@CN possesses remarkable photocatalytic performance for H 2 evolution. Under visible-light irradiation, the optimal hydrogen production rate of 10.2 mmol g −1 h −1 was achieved. Moreover, we also found that the photocatalytic activity of Cd 0.6 Zn 0.4 S nanoplates can be significantly enhanced using the NiO x /Ni nanoparticles embedded in N-doped C layers as co-catalyst. The photocatalytic activity of CdZnS/Ni@CN is 170 times as strong as that of the Cd 0.6 Zn 0.4 S nanoplates. These findings will serve as a valuable reference for the design and preparation of efficient Cd x Zn 1-x S-based photocatalysts in future.