A ternary Z-scheme heterojunction composite CdS@Ce-MOF/g-C3N4 for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

To enhance the hydrogen production efficiency and stability in photocatalysis, a ternary heterojunction composite CdS@Ce-MOF/g-C 3 N 4 was developed by in-situ growth of Ce-MOF and CdS on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ). The synthesized composite not only mitigated the photocorrosion of sulfides but also established a stepwise energy-level alignment and built-in electric field within the heterojunction. These structural advantages effectively facilitated the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and suppress their recombination, thereby significantly improving photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, the composite exhibited a hydrogen production rate of 4953.125 μmol g −1 , which is 7 times higher than that of pristine g-C 3 N 4 . Moreover, the hydrogen evolution rate remained stable with negligible degradation after multiple cycling tests, demonstrating excellent durability. The CdS@Ce-MOF/g-C 3 N 4 composite, with its superior hydrogen generation capacity and robust stability in photocatalytic water splitting, provides a promising alternative for advancing research on high-performance photocatalysts.