By means of hydrothermal vulcanization method, NiFe-PBA with a threedimensional cubic structure is used as a precursor, and NiFe-PBA is converted to NiFe-PBA-S while maintaining its original three-dimensional cubic structure. NiFe-PBA-S/ZnCdS was successfully synthesized by physical synthesis.Compared with monomeric NiFe-PBA-S and ZnCdS, the hydrogen evolution rate of NiFe-PBA-S/ZnCdS composite catalyst is significantly higher. In particular, NiFe-PBA-S/ZnCdS not only showed a high hydrogen evolution rate of 20 060 μmol g À1 h À1 but also exhibited good cycling durability. For the ZnCdS growth system, the unique three-dimensional (3D) structure of NiFe-PBA-S acts as an excellent growth site for the ZnCdS nanoparticles, preventing their aggregation and extending the ZnCdS reaction zone. In addition, the S-scheme heterojunction inhibits the recombination of electron-hole pairs. The 3D spatial structure and S-scheme heterojunction configuration allow for more efficient and easy charge transfer, which substantially improves the separation and transfer of electrons. This research expands upon the notion of designing photocatalysts for efficient hydrogen evolution.
Highlights• NiFe-PBA-S and ZnCdS have S-scheme charge transfer.• The unique structure of NiFe-PBA-S is conducive to the dispersion of ZnCdS. The performance of 10% NiFe-PBA-S/ZnCdS photocatalytic hydrogen production is significantly improved, and it has high reusability.