Facile photodeposition Ni(OH)₂ anchored ZnIn₂S₄ as an efficient 1D/2D heterojunctions for photocatalytic H₂ evolution

Increasing the active site of redox reactions on the surface of photocatalysts and accelerating the separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs are effective methods to improve the hydrogen evolution of composite photocatalysts. Non-precious metal Ni photo-deposition is anchored in situ on the ZnIn₂S₄ surface to generate the cocatalyst Ni(OH)₂, which improves the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of the composite sample. Under visible light irradiation, the ZnIn₂S₄ semiconductor stimulates photon-generated carriers. Ni²⁺ acts as the defect center of photogenerated electron-hole pairs to promote the separation of carriers. It serves as the capture site of light-generated holes to reduce the carrier recombination rate so that the light-generated electrons on the ZnIn₂S₄ surface promote H⁺ reduction in H₂. Ni(OH)₂ provides the active site for oxidation reaction on the surface of semiconductor materials, allowing the carrier to be consumed faster and improving the photocatalytic stability of semiconductor materials. The addition of 2 wt% Ni²⁺ resulted in a hydrogen evolution rate of 10 066 µmol·g⁻¹ ·h⁻¹ for ZnIn₂S₄/Ni(OH)₂, which was 2.5 times higher than that of pure ZnIn₂S₄. This paper presents a reference case for enhancing the stability of sulfide to promote its photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.