In-situ synthesis of Ni2P co-catalyst decorated Zn0.5Cd0.5S nanorods for high-quantum-yield photocatalytic hydrogen production under visible light irradiation

Efficient noble-metal-free semiconductor composite photocatalysts are highly desirable for visible light driven water splitting. In this study, Ni 2 P was successfully decorated on Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S as a highly efficient co-catalyst via a hydrothermal method . The chemical as well as photophysical properties of the as-obtained Ni 2 P/Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV–vis diffusion reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved fluorescence. The Ni 2 P/ Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S composite sample with 4% molar content of Ni 2 P showed the highest photocatalytic H 2 evolution activity with a corresponding H 2 evolution rate of 1173 μmol h −1 , which was about 13 times higher than that of pure Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S sample under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of the Ni 2 P/Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S composite sample was stable even after 4 cycling photocatalytic experiments. A possible mechanism on the photocatalytic enhancement of the Ni 2 P/Zn 0.5 Cd 0.5 S composite sample was systematically investigated, which can provide a novel concept for the synthesis of other desirable semiconductor materials with high photocatalytic performance.