2D Ni-MOF derived Ni2P-Ni(PO3)2 decorated 0D CdS nanoparticles for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

In this research, we report a simple and cost-effective method for the preparation of two-dimensional (2D) Ni 2 P-Ni(PO 3 ) 2 derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) via a one-step thermal phosphorization strategy. The resulting material is employed to significantly enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of zero-dimensional (0D) CdS nanoparticles. Through an ultrasonic-assisted strategy, the CdS nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed on the surface of Ni 2 P-Ni(PO 3 ) 2 , leading to the successful fabrication of a Ni 2 P-Ni(PO 3 ) 2 /CdS composite with substantially enhanced photocatalytic performance. Under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 420 nm) using Na 2 S-Na 2 SO 3 as sacrificial agents, the 3 wt% Ni 2 P-Ni(PO 3 ) 2 /CdS composite demonstrated a remarkable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 2235 µmol g −1 h −1 , which is approximately 7.5 times higher than that of pristine CdS (297 µmol g −1 h −1 ). Over a 20 h cycling experiment, the composite catalyst demonstrated remarkable stability, maintaining around 78 % of its initial hydrogen generation efficiency. The enhanced performance of the composite is ascribed to the role of Ni 2 P-Ni(PO 3 ) 2 in facilitating the separation of photoinduced charge carriers from CdS and improving electrical conductivity. A possible electron-hole transfer mechanism is proposed based on the experimental findings. This work is expected to be helpful in fabricating efficient CdS photocatalysts.