Integrating Co3O4 with ZnIn2S4 p-n heterojunction for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production

The Co3O4/ZnIn2S4 p-n heterojunction photocatalyst was successfully prepared using the block stacked by Co3O4 nanosheets as the carrier. Because the surface of the Co3O4 nano-block is rough, it is easy to absorb more ZnIn2S4 nanosheets, which leads to the tight coupling of composite Co3O4/ZnIn2S4. In addition, the interaction of the p-n heterojunction interface accelerates the separation of photogenerated carriers, thus increasing the rate of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. In the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution test, the composite Co3O4/ZnIn2S4 showed excellent hydrogen evolution performance, and the maximum hydrogen evolution capacity was up to 72.01 mu mol, which was about 5.6 times that of pure Co3O4. Under the action of the built-in electric field, the accumulation of electrons and holes in the ZnIn2S4 conduction band and Co3O4 valence band is accelerated, thus higher separation efficiency is achieved. The addition of various characterizations also confirmed the excellent properties of the composites. This work provides a reference for the construction of photocatalytic heterojunction.