Synthesis of g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 Heterostructures with Extremely High Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production and Reusability

Abstract

The g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 heterostructures were successfully synthesized through a combination of thermal annealing and hydrothermal methods. To enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance and explore the interface between charge carriers, heterostructures of g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 were fabricated using varying weights of g-C3N4 nanostructures under visible light irradiation. Remarkably, the photocatalytic hydrogen production efficiency of g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 heterostructures with 0.01 g g-C3N4 nanostructures was significantly improved, showing approximately 228.6 and 2.58 times higher than that of g-C3N4 nanostructures and ZnIn2S4 nanostructures, respectively. This enhancement in photocatalytic performance is attributed to the effective utilization of visible light and the efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs facilitated by the heterojunction structures. Moreover, the reusability test validated the outstanding performance of g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 heterostructures, as they maintained high photocatalytic hydrogen production even after undergoing eight cycles without any noticeable decrease in efficiency. This study offers a promising strategy for designing and synthesizing an environmentally friendly g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 heterojunction with potential applications in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Synthesis of Ternary MoS2/Carbon Dots/ZnIn2S4 Nanocomposites for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

“…The XPS full-scan spectrum (Figure S5) unequivocally verified the presence of Zn, In, S, F, C, and Mo elements in the ternary composite material, affirming the successful incorporation of F-CDs and MoS 2 onto the ZIS surface, a finding consistent with the outcomes of EDS elemental mapping. As depicted in Figure a, the high-resolution XPS spectrum of the MoS 2 /CDs/ZIS material exhibits two distinct peaks for Zn 2p 1/2 at 1044.8 eV and Zn 2p 3/2 at 1021.7 eV, corresponding to Zn 2+ . In Figure b, the In 3d spectrum is fitted with two peaks at In 3d 3/2 (452.2 eV) and In 3d 5/2 (444.6 eV), attributed to In 3+ .…”

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of SnO2@ZnIn2S4 Composites for Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

“…Zinc indium sulfide (ZnIn 2 S 4 ) is a ternary metal sulfide known for its layered structure, exhibiting three different crystal phases: cubic, hexagonal, and rhombohedral [21][22][23][24]. This photocatalyst is considered a conventional material for visible light absorption and is categorized as a direct band gap semiconductor with adjustable band gaps ranging from 2.06 to 2.85 eV [23,25,26].…”

“…Zinc indium sulfide (ZnIn 2 S 4 ) is a ternary metal sulfide known for its layered structure, exhibiting three different crystal phases: cubic, hexagonal, and rhombohedral [21][22][23][24]. This photocatalyst is considered a conventional material for visible light absorption and is categorized as a direct band gap semiconductor with adjustable band gaps ranging from 2.06 to 2.85 eV [23,25,26]. ZnIn 2 S 4 exhibits minimal toxicity, straightforward synthesis, and exceptional chemical durability, rendering it extensively investigated in areas such as photocatalysis, thermoelectricity, and electrochemical energy storage [27,28].…”