ZnIn2S4/TiO2/Ag Composite Photocatalyst: Preparation and Performance for Hydrogen Production from Water Splitting

Firstly, 1D TiO2 nanobelts were uniformly interspersed into 3D ZnIn2S4 microspheres assembled by lamellar structure by solvothermal method. The heterostructure photocatalyst can effectively suppress the re-combination of photoinduced electron-hole pairs. Secondly, 0D Ag nanoparticles were loaded onto 3D ZnIn2S4/ID TiO2 heterostructure by photodeposition method. Owing to the plasma effect of 0D Ag nanoparticles and the action of electron co-catalyst, ternary 3D ZnIn2S4/ID TiO2/0D Ag composite photocatalyst showed excellent performance in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, the hydrogen production rate of ZnIn2S4/TiO2/Ag composite photocatalyst reached 715 mu mol.g(-1).h(-1), which was 2.7 times, 3.3 times, 3.8 times, 184 times and 518 times higher than those of ZnIn2S4/TiO2, ZnIn2S4/P25, TiO2 and P25, respectively. At the same time, by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UVVis diffuse reflection spectroscopy, the excellent performance of the composite catalyst was further demonstrated.