Synergistic effect of Na doping and CoSe₂ cocatalyst for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of...

Element doping has been demonstrated as a useful strategy to regulate the band gap and electronic structure of photocatalyst for improving photocatalytic activity. Herein, ZnIn₂S₄ (ZIS) nanosheets were doped with alkali metal ions (Li⁺, Na⁺ or K⁺) by a simple solution method. Experimental characterizations reveal that alkali metal ions doping reduce the band gap, raise the conduction band position, and improve surface hydrophilicity of ZIS. In addition, theoretical calculations show that Na doping increases the electron density at valence band maximum and surrounding S atom, which is conducive to produce more electrons and effective utilization of electrons, respectively. Benefited from above factors, Na-doped ZIS (Na-ZIS) shows the highest photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. Furthermore, CoSe₂ cocatalyst is loaded on the surface of Na-ZIS (CS/Na-ZIS), which further improve the charge separation and prolong the lifetime of charges. As a result, the optimized CS/Na-ZIS shows a H₂ evolution rate of 4525 μmol·g^-1·h^-1 with an apparent quantum efficiency of 27.5 % at 420 nm, which are much higher than that of pure ZIS. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the synergistic effect of Na doping and CoSe₂ cocatalyst in ameliorating photocatalytic activity.