Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. ›› 2024, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (8): 2308036.doi: 10.3866/PKU.WHXB202308036

Special Issue: Solar Fuel Photocatalyst

• ARTICLE • Previous Articles    

Enhancing Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution through Electronic Structure and Wettability Adjustment of ZnIn2S4/Bi2O3 S-Scheme Heterojunction

Linfeng Xiao1, Wanlu Ren1, Shishi Shen3, Mengshan Chen2, Runhua Liao1,*(), Yingtang Zhou2,*(), Xibao Li3,*()   

  1. 1 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jingdezhen Ceramic University, Jingdezhen 333403, Jiangxi Province, China
    2 Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Petrochemical Environmental Pollution Control, National Engineering Research Center for Marine Aquaculture, Marine Science and Technology College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, Zhejiang Province, China
    3 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063, Jiangxi Province, China
  • Received:2023-08-21 Revised:2023-09-28 Accepted:2023-09-28 Published:2023-10-13
  • Contact: Email: 001072@jcu.edu.cn (Runhua Liao)zhouyingtang@zjou.edu.cn (Yingtang Zhou)lixibao@nchu.edu.cn (Xibao Li)
  • Supported by:
    the Zhejiang Province Key Research and Development Project(2023 C01191); National Natural Science Foundation of China(22262024); National Natural Science Foundation of China(51962023); National Natural Science Foundation of China(51468024); Jiangxi Academic and Technical Leader of Major Disciplines(20232BCJ22008); Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province(20232ACB204007); Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province(20202BABL203037); Jingdezhen Science and Technology Bureau Project(20192GYZD008-33)

Abstract:

The production of renewable fuels through water splitting via photocatalytic hydrogen production holds significant promise. Nonetheless, the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen evolution and the inadequate water adsorption on photocatalysts present notable challenges. In this study, we have devised a straightforward hydrothermal method to synthesize Bi2O3 (BO) derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), loaded with flower-like ZnIn2S4 (ZIS). This approach substantially enhances water adsorption and surface catalytic reactions, resulting in a remarkable enhancement of photocatalytic activity. By employing triethanolamine (TEOA) as a sacrificial agent, the hydrogen evolution rate achieved with 15% (mass fraction) ZIS loading on BO reached an impressive value of 1610 μmol∙h−1∙g−1, marking a 6.34-fold increase compared to that observed for bare BO. Furthermore, through density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations, we have identified the reactions occurring at the ZIS/BO S-scheme heterojunction interface, including the identification of active sites for water adsorption and catalytic reactions. This study provides valuable insights into the development of high-performance composite photocatalytic materials with tailored electronic properties and wettability.

Key words: S-scheme, Hydrogen evolution, Wettability, Photocatalysis, Electronic structure