Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Based on ZnIn2S4 Materials

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Photocatalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 5760

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003, China
Interests: photocatalytic water splitting; near-infrared light-driven; g-C3N4; ZnIn2S4; tetracycline
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Energy and Power, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003, China
Interests: tetracycline; g-C3N4; ZnIn2S4; photocatalytic H2 production; heterojunction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
School of Material Science and Engineering, Beihua University, Jilin 132013, China
Interests: photocatalytic H2 production; heterojunction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Material Science and Engineering, Beihua University, Jilin 132013, China
Interests: photocatalytic H2 production; heterojunction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Photocatalytic hydrogen production is the best means available presently for human beings to obtain energy, but the important problem in this field is how to build highly active and low-cost photocatalysts. In recent years, the typical ternary metal sulfide of two-dimensional (2D) ZnIn2S4 nanosheets has been widely used in the photocatalytic field owning to its chemical stability, strong visible light absorption, and suitable band gap. Unfortunately, single-phase ZnIn2S4 nanosheets commonly exhibit serious agglomeration during the reaction process and tend to present a micro-flower structure composed of nanosheets, which seriously affects their photocatalytic activity due to the cover of active sites, limiting the effective use of photocarriers. Among enormous modification methods, construction of heterojunction/homojunction between g-ZnIn2S4 and other semiconductor photocatalysts with an interleaved energy band position is an effective channel to improve photocatalytic activity, which can be attributed to the accelerated photon-generated carrier transfer rate. This Special Issue will present the most recent and significant developments in highly efficient ZnIn2S4-based photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction, where such systems are widely used. Original papers on the above topics and short reviews are welcome for submission.

Dr. Weilong Shi
Dr. Feng Guo
Prof. Dr. Xue Lin
Dr. Yuanzhi Hong
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • ZnIn2S4
  • photocatalytic H2 production
  • heterojunction
  • photocatalytic water splitting
  • overall water splitting
  • S-scheme
  • photothermal-assisted photocatalysis

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 3848 KiB  
Article
In Situ Preparation of 0D/2D Zn-Ag-In-S Quantum Dots/RGO Heterojunctions for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production
by Bangya Deng, Yalin Yang, Afaq Ullah Khan, Qitao Chen, Xianjin Wang, Tong Ren, Jiaji Li, Yanhong Liu, Lixia Li and Baodong Mao
Catalysts 2023, 13(12), 1471; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13121471 - 27 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1020
Abstract
The creation of junctions between 0D and 2D materials can be an efficient strategy to enhance charge separation for solar hydrogen production. In this study, a simple in situ growth method has been used to synthesize a series of 0D/2D Zn-Ag-In-S quantum dots/reduced [...] Read more.
The creation of junctions between 0D and 2D materials can be an efficient strategy to enhance charge separation for solar hydrogen production. In this study, a simple in situ growth method has been used to synthesize a series of 0D/2D Zn-Ag-In-S quantum dots/reduced graphene oxide (ZAIS QDs/RGO) heterojunctions. The developed heterojunctions were characterized for structural characteristics, morphology, and photocatalytic performance, while varying the content of RGO. We observed that photocatalytic hydrogen production reached a maximum at an RGO content of 30 μL (342.34 µmol g−1 h−1), surpassing that of pure ZAIS QDs (110.38 µmol g−1 h−1) by 3.1 times, while maintaining excellent stability. To understand this enhancement, we performed time-resolved fluorescence and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The fluorescence lifetime of RGO loaded at 30 μL (417.76 ns) was significantly higher than that of pure ZAIS QDs (294.10 ns) and had the fastest charge transfer, which can be attributed to the charge transfer and storage capacity of RGO to extend the lifetime of photogenerated carriers and improve the charge separation efficiency. This study offers a simple synthesis method for constructing 0D/2D QDs/RGO heterojunction structures and provides a valuable reference for further enhancing the activity and stability of I-III-VI sulfide QDs. Full article
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12 pages, 3155 KiB  
Article
Photocatalysis: A Possible Vital Contributor to the Evolution of the Prebiotic Atmosphere and the Warming of the Early Earth
by Chuchu Cheng, Fangjie Xu, Wenwen Shi, Qiaoyun Wang and Caijin Huang
Catalysts 2023, 13(9), 1310; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13091310 - 20 Sep 2023
Viewed by 908
Abstract
The evolution of the early atmosphere was driven by changes in its chemical composition, which involved the formation of some critical gases. In this study, we demonstrate that nitrous oxide (N2O) can be produced from Miller’s early atmosphere (a mixture of [...] Read more.
The evolution of the early atmosphere was driven by changes in its chemical composition, which involved the formation of some critical gases. In this study, we demonstrate that nitrous oxide (N2O) can be produced from Miller’s early atmosphere (a mixture of CH4, NH3, H2, and H2O) by way of photocatalysis. Both NH3 and H2O were indispensable for the production of N2O by photocatalysis. Different conditions related to seawater and reaction temperature are also explored. N2O has a strong greenhouse gas effect, which is more able to warm the Earth than other gases and offers a reasonable explanation for the faint young Sun paradox on the early Earth. Moreover, the decomposition of N2O into N2 and O2 can be boosted by soft irradiation, providing a possible and important origin of atmospheric O2 and N2. The occurrence of O2 propelled the evolution of the atmosphere from being fundamentally reducing to oxidizing. This work describes a possible vital contribution of photocatalysis to the evolution of the early atmosphere. Full article
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15 pages, 7030 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 Heterostructures with Extremely High Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production and Reusability
by Yu-Cheng Chang, Yung-Chang Chiao and Chi-Jung Chang
Catalysts 2023, 13(8), 1187; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13081187 - 04 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1210
Abstract
The g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 heterostructures were successfully synthesized through a combination of thermal annealing and hydrothermal methods. To enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance and explore the interface between charge carriers, heterostructures of g-C3N4@ZnIn [...] Read more.
The g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 heterostructures were successfully synthesized through a combination of thermal annealing and hydrothermal methods. To enhance the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance and explore the interface between charge carriers, heterostructures of g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 were fabricated using varying weights of g-C3N4 nanostructures under visible light irradiation. Remarkably, the photocatalytic hydrogen production efficiency of g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 heterostructures with 0.01 g g-C3N4 nanostructures was significantly improved, showing approximately 228.6 and 2.58 times higher than that of g-C3N4 nanostructures and ZnIn2S4 nanostructures, respectively. This enhancement in photocatalytic performance is attributed to the effective utilization of visible light and the efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs facilitated by the heterojunction structures. Moreover, the reusability test validated the outstanding performance of g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 heterostructures, as they maintained high photocatalytic hydrogen production even after undergoing eight cycles without any noticeable decrease in efficiency. This study offers a promising strategy for designing and synthesizing an environmentally friendly g-C3N4@ZnIn2S4 heterojunction with potential applications in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Full article
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Review

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26 pages, 4406 KiB  
Review
Research Progress of ZnIn2S4-Based Catalysts for Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting
by Yujie Yan, Zhouze Chen, Xiaofang Cheng and Weilong Shi
Catalysts 2023, 13(6), 967; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal13060967 - 02 Jun 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2003
Abstract
Photocatalytic overall water splitting in solar–chemical energy conversion can effectively mitigate environmental pollution and resource depletion. Stable ternary metal indium zinc sulfide (ZnIn2S4) is considered one of the ideal materials for photocatalytic overall water splitting due to its unique [...] Read more.
Photocatalytic overall water splitting in solar–chemical energy conversion can effectively mitigate environmental pollution and resource depletion. Stable ternary metal indium zinc sulfide (ZnIn2S4) is considered one of the ideal materials for photocatalytic overall water splitting due to its unique electronic and optical properties, as well as suitable conduction and valence band positions for suitable photocatalytic overall water splitting, and it has attracted widespread researcher interest. Herein, we first briefly describe the mechanism of photocatalytic overall water splitting, and then introduce the properties of ZnIn2S4 including crystal structure, energy band structure, as well as the main synthetic methods and morphology. Subsequently, we systematically summarize the research progress of ZnIn2S4-based photocatalysts to achieve overall water splitting through modification methods such as defect engineering, heterostructure construction, and co-catalyst loading. Finally, we provide insights into the prospects and challenges for the overall water splitting of ZnIn2S4-based photocatalysts. Full article
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