No abstract

Spatially separated loading of reductive and oxidative cocatalysts is a useful strategy for expediting charge separation and surface reaction kinetics, which are two key factors for determining the photocatalytic efficiency. However, loading the spatial separation of dual cocatalysts on a 2D photocatalyst is still a great challenge. Herein, decorating the spatial separation of oxidative and reductive cocatalysts on ZnIn2S4 nanosheets is realized by designing a ternary Co9S8@ZnIn2S4@PdS (CS@ZIS@PS) hollow tubular core‐shell structure. Particularly, Co9S8 and PdS functionally serve as the reduction and oxidation cocatalysts, respectively. Experimental results confirm that the spatial separation of Co9S8 and PdS cocatalysts not only efficiently improve charge separation and accelerate surface reduction–oxidation kinetics, but also generate a photothermal effect to further enhance charge transfer and surface reaction kinetics. As a result, the optimized CS@ZIS@PS yields a remarkable H2 evolution rate of 11407 µmol g−1 h−1, and the apparent quantum efficiency reaches 71.2% at 420 nm, which is one of the highest values among ZnIn2S4 so far. The synergistic effect of spatially separated dual cocatalysts and photothermal effect may be applied to other 2D materials for efficient solar energy conversion.

Photocatalytic hydrogen production using semiconductor photocatalysts provides a promising strategy for solving the energy crisis. Metal sulfide photocatalysts have received extensive attention due to its visible‐light response, adjustable band structures, and relatively mild preparation conditions. In this review, the emerging strategies to improve photocatalytic performance and stability of metal sulfides are summarized, including engineering of heterojunction, defect engineering, loading single‐atom cocatalyst, photothermal effect, loading dual cocatalysts, and coating stable shell. Special attention is paid to the influence mechanism of latest strategies on the photocatalytic process, with a focus on charge transfer, separation, and participation in surface chemical reaction behavior. Finally, with the goal of promoting the rapid progress of metal sulfides for solar hydrogen production, the key challenges of the latest research frontiers and the prospects on future development of metal sulfides are discussed.

No abstract

No abstract