Ternary CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3 composites with synergistic enhancement for hydrogen production from visible-light photocatalytic water splitting

• Published in: Applied catalysis. B, Environmental Vol. 215; pp. 74 - 84
• Main Authors: Chang, Yue, Yu, Kai, Zhang, Chenxi, Yang, Zequn, Feng, Yajun, Hao, He, Jiang, Yuanzhi, Lou, Lan-Lan, Zhou, Wuzong, Liu, Shuangxi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.10.2017
• Subjects: CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3; Hydrogen production from water splitting; Slow photon effect; Ternary composite; Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous material; Slow photon effect; Hydrogen production from water splitting; Ternary composite; Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous material; CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3
• ISSN: 0926-3373; 1873-3883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2017.05.054

The ternary CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3 composites were prepared and used in hydrogen evolution from water splitting under visible light (λ>420nm) irradiation. An extraordinarily high hydrogen evolution rate (up to 5.46mmol/gh) with AQE420nm of 42.2% was achieved over CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3(300) using Pt as co-catalyst, which could be mainly attributed to the synergistic enhancement effect of efficient carrier separation, SPR effect of Au, and slow photon effect of 3DOM-SrTiO3(300). [Display omitted] •Visible-light-driven ternary CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3 composites are firstly synthesized.•CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3(300) exhibits extra high hydrogen evolution rate (5.39mmol/gh).•Notably enhanced apparent quantum efficiency (42.2% at 420 nm) is achieved.•The synergistic enhancement mechanism of CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3 composites is demonstrated.•The as-synthesized CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3 composites are quite stable. New ternary composites based on three dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) SrTiO3 (CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3) were prepared and used as photocatalysts in visible light (λ>420nm) photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen evolution. Through optimizing the pore size of 3DOM-SrTiO3 materials and the loading amounts of Au and CdS, CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3(300), templated by 300nm sized poly(methyl methacrylate) colloids, was found to exhibit a remarkably enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate (2.74mmol/h⋅g), which was 3.2 times as high as that of CdS/Au/C-SrTiO3 catalyst based on commercial SrTiO3. This notably enhanced photocatalytic performance was mainly attributed to the slow photon enhancement effect of 3DOM-SrTiO3(300) material, which significantly promoted the light harvesting efficiency of ternary composite for the slow photon region of 3DOM-SrTiO3(300) was well matched with the optical absorption band of photocatalyst. Further depositing Pt nanoparticles on CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3(300) composite as a co-catalyst, an extraordinarily high hydrogen evolution rate (up to 5.46mmol/g⋅h) and apparent quantum efficiency (42.2% at 420nm) were achieved because of the synergistic effect of efficient carrier separation, Au SPR effect, and slow photon effect. Furthermore, these ternary CdS/Au/3DOM-SrTiO3 composite photocatalysts were very stable and could be easily recycled four times in visible light photocatalytic water splitting experiments without any loss in activity.