Design of a Fe/FeP/ZnIn₂S₄ Heterojunction for Enhanced Photocatalytic H₂ Evolution

Photocatalytic water splitting is an effective way to produce H₂ and a key research direction in H₂ energy development. In this paper, a Fe/FeP/ZnIn₂S₄ (Fe/FeP/ZIS) composite was prepared by a self-assembly method, with 2D Fe/FeP nanorods attached to the surface of 3D ZnIn₂S₄ (ZIS) microflowers. When the mass percentage of Fe/FeP loading was 5%, the Fe/FeP/ZIS heterojunction exhibited the best photocatalytic performance (4.56 mmol·g^-1·h^-1), much higher than that of Fe/FeP and ZIS. The significantly enhanced activity of Fe/FeP/ZIS was ascribed to the close interface contact formed between Fe/FeP and ZIS, which accelerated the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers (PCCs). This study not only offers a reference for the design of novel non-noble cocatalysts but also promotes the improvement in the utilization efficiency of PCCs.