Bimetallic MOF-derived NiCoP@C decorated ZnIn2S4 for enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic H2 evolution

Facing the current energy crisis, developing new green energy and advancing high-quality energy development are crucial, as multimetal sulfide semiconductors have great potential in photoenergy conversion. This study prepared a carbon-containing bimetallic phosphide (NiCoP@C) cocatalyst from a CoNi-based MOF, which was combined with ZnIn 2 S 4 (ZIS) hollow nanoflowers to enhance electrical conductivity and photocatalytic hydrogen production of the composite. XPS shows electron cloud density of ZIS increases in the composite via interfacial electronic reconstruction. FESEM reveals NiCoP@C nanoparticles are evenly anchored on surface and interlayer gaps of ZIS, forming a hierarchical heterostructure with more active sites. Performance tests show Z-NiCoP@C has a photocurrent density of 129.58 μA cm −2 (vs. 34 μA cm −2 of unmodified ZIS). Under 10 W visible light with 10% TEOA as a sacrificial agent, 10-h cumulative H 2 yield of the composite is 19.52 mmol g −1 , with a H 2 evolution rate of 1.95 mmol g −1  h −1 , 7.8-fold that of pristine ZIS (0.25 mmol g −1  h −1 ).