Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 17, 2026

Synthesis and Performance Evaluations of ZnCoS/ZnCdS with Twin Crystal Structure for Multifunctional Redox Photocatalysis in Energy Applications
Published on: July 25, 2025
Bidentate-chelated nickel complex orchestrates S-scheme heterojunction on CdZnS for robust noble-metal-free
Yifan Liao1, Jiayi Meng1, Quanmei Zhou1
1State Key Laboratory of Porous Materials for Separation and Conversion, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, PR China.
Abstract:
Noble-metal-free photocatalysts that combine high activity with long-term durability remain scarce for solar hydrogen production. Transition-metal coordination complexes possess highly tunable electronic structures and chelation-stabilized configurations, yet their use as intrinsic interfacial components for regulating charge dynamics remains underexplored. Herein, an S-scheme Cd0.3Zn0.7S/[Ni(en)3]S2O3 heterojunction was constructed through an in situ solvothermal strategy, in which the bidentate-chelated octahedral Ni complex [Ni(en)3]S2O3 acts as an interfacial electronic modulator. The optimized Cd0.3Zn0.7S/[Ni(en)3]S2O3 photocatalyst delivered an H2 evolution rate of 46.53 mmol·g-1·h-1 under visible light irradiation, 3.3 times that of Cd0.3Zn0.7S and higher than that of 1 wt% Pt-loaded Cd0.3Zn0.7S. It also exhibited enhanced photostability and an apparent quantum efficiency of 18.6% at 350 nm. In situ irradiated X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ISI-XPS), femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (fs-TAS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the robust heterointerface induces spontaneous electron migration from [Ni(en)3]S2O3 to Cd0.3Zn0.7S, establishing interfacial band bending and a built-in electric field for S-scheme charge transfer. This work demonstrates that chelation-stabilized complexes can serve as effective electronic regulators at semiconductor interfaces, providing a versatile strategy for constructing active, stable, and noble-metal-free photocatalysts for solar hydrogen production.
Related Concept Videos
Catalysis
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Heterogeneous Catalysis
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the surface of...
Valence Bond Theory
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...