Effects of Preparation Conditions on the Efficiency of Visible-Light-Driven Hydrogen Generation Based on Cd0.25Zn0.75S Photocatalysts

Abstract

Photocatalytic H2 production utilizing H2S, an industrial side-product, is regarded as an environmentally friendly process to produce clean energy through direct solar energy conversion. For this purpose, sulfide-based materials, such as photocatalysts, have been widely used due to their good solar response and high photocatalytic activity. In this work, a ZnS–CdS composite was studied, and special attention was dedicated to the influence of the preparation parameters on its H2 production activity. The ZnS–CdS composite, with an enhanced photoactivity for H2 production, was synthesized both from ammine complexes and, in a conventional way, directly from acetates at various pH values. Deviating from the traditional method, the photoactivity of ZnS–CdS prepared from ammine complexes was not affected by the pH. Besides, the hydrothermal treatment and the ammonia content strongly influenced the rate of H2 production in this system. DRS, TEM, SEM, XRD, and quantum yield measurements prove the dependence of the photoactivity of these catalysts on the structural and morphological properties determined by the preparation conditions. The promising photocatalytic efficiency achieved with the application of these ZnS–CdS catalysts, prepared without any metal deposition, encourages further investigations to enhance the rate of hydrogen generation by optimization of the reaction conditions for practical utilization.