A charge transfer highway for directed electron migration and local enrichment in Co@ZnIn2S4/UiO-66 toward ultraefficient hydrogen evolution

The development of efficient photocatalysts for solar-driven H 2 evolution relies on precise charge management. A novel ternary heterojunction photocatalyst, 1%Co@ZnIn 2 S 4 /UiO-66 (1%Co@ZU), was synthesized through a collaborative sequential self-assembly and photodeposition strategy. In photocatalytic water splitting for H 2 evolution, 1%Co@ZU achieved a H 2 evolution rate of 46.40 mmol·g −1 ·h −1 , with apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 86.32% at 420 nm. An S-scheme heterojunction between UiO-66 (UiO) and ZnIn 2 S 4 (ZIS) promoted efficient charge separation. Co S bonds directed the rapid transfer of electrons from ZIS to Co. Electrons were enriched on Co sites, and the energy barrier was reduced quickly. The optimal free energy of H* adsorption (ΔG H⁎ ) was 0.14 eV. This study demonstrates the crucial role of band alignment and interface design in high-performance photocatalytic systems for application in H 2 evolution and other energy conversion fields. Download: Download high-res image (140KB) Download: Download full-size image