Photothermal-assisted S-scheme heterojunction of Cu3SnS4/Mn0.3Cd0.7S for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is regarded as an economically viable and environmentally benign strategy. However, the practical application of photocatalytic hydrogen production is constrained by the sluggish reaction kinetics and rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. Herein, a Cu 3 SnS 4 /Mn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S (CTS/MCS) S-scheme photocatalyst with photothermal effect was synthesized via an ultrasound-assisted self-assembly method and applied for the first time to photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The hydrogen production rate of CTS/MCS-5 reached 72.5 ± 0.8 mmol/h g −1 , representing a 3.44-fold increase relative to Mn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S, and the apparent quantum yield of CTS/MCS-5 reached 17.5 % at 450 nm. The photothermal effect induced by Cu 3 SnS 4 can elevate the local surface temperature of the catalyst, providing a portion of the energy required for the reaction, thereby reducing the reaction barrier and further promoting photocatalytic reactions. This research highlights the significance of the S-scheme heterojunction and the photothermal effect as an effective strategy to enhance photocatalytic activity, offering new insights for the development of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution technology.