Construction of Au/ZnWO4/CdS Ternary Photocatalysts with Oxygen Vacancy Modification for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Rational design and optimization of the photocatalyst architecture, aimed at effectively enhancing light absorption and accelerating charge separation and transfer, can lead to the accomplishment of sustainable photocatalytic hydrogen production. In this study, a ternary system of Au/ZnWO4/CdS is prepared with oxygen vacancy modification through a combination of hydrothermal, chemical precipitation, and photochemical deposition methods. The addition of CdS and Au nanoparticles significantly enhances the light absorption range of ZnWO4 (ZWO) and creates more active sites for hydrogen production. The type-II engineered heterojunction, in combination with Au as a cocatalyst, is a viable and efficient method for enhancing the separation and transport of electron-hole pairs, thereby facilitating the effective precipitation of hydrogen through photocatalysis. 5A10ZC exhibits a hydrogen production rate of 5483.62 mu mol g(-1) h(-1), which is 167 times higher than that of unmodified ZWO and 29 times higher than that of pure CdS. In addition, it exhibits excellent cycle stability in the hydrogen production cycle stability test. The photoelectrochemical test results show that the construction of the system improves the separation and transfer efficiency of photogenerated carriers. This study provides a new inspiration for the construction of high-performance photocatalytic materials.