Abstract
Photocatalytic H(2) evolution technology is regarded as a promising and green route for the urgent requirement of efficient H(2) production. At present, low efficiency is a major bottleneck that limits the practical application of photocatalytic H(2) evolution. The construction of high-activity photocatalysts is highly crucial for achieving advanced hydrogen generation. Herein, a new S-scheme FeS(2)@ZnIn(2)S(4) (FeS(2)@ZIS) heterostructure as the photocatalyst was developed for enhanced photocatalytic H(2) evolution. Density function theory (DFT) calculation results strongly demonstrated that FeS(2)@ZIS generates a giant interface electric field (IEF), thus promoting the separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers for efficient visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution. At optimal conditions, the H(2) production rate of the 8%FeS(2)@ZIS is 5.3 and 3.6 times higher than that of the pure FeS(2) and ZIS, respectively. The experimental results further indicate that the close contact between FeS(2) and ZIS promotes the formation of the S-scheme heterojunction, where the interfacial charge transfer achieves spatial separation of charge carriers. This further broadens the light absorption range of the FeS(2)@ZIS and improves the utilization rate of photogenerated charge carriers. This work thus offers new insights that the FeS(2)-based co-catalyst can enrich the research on S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts and improve the transfer and separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers for photocatalytic hydrogen production.