Design of a Fe/FeP/ZnIn2S4 Heterojunction for Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Evolution

Photocatalytic water splitting is an effective way to produce H2 and a key research direction in H2 energy development. In this paper, a Fe/FeP/ZnIn2S4 (Fe/FeP/ZIS) composite was prepared by a self-assembly method, with 2D Fe/FeP nanorods attached to the surface of 3D ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) microflowers. When the mass percentage of Fe/FeP loading was 5%, the Fe/FeP/ZIS heterojunction exhibited the best photocatalytic performance (4.56 mmol·g–1·h–1), much higher than that of Fe/FeP and ZIS. The significantly enhanced activity of Fe/FeP/ZIS was ascribed to the close interface contact formed between Fe/FeP and ZIS, which accelerated the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers (PCCs). This study not only offers a reference for the design of novel non-noble cocatalysts but also promotes the improvement in the utilization efficiency of PCCs.