N-doped mixed Co, Ni-oxides with petal structure as effective catalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution by water splitting

Abstract

Developing electrocatalytic nanomaterials for green H2 energy is inseparable from the exploration of novel materials and internal mechanisms for catalytic enhancement.

Hollow Co9S8/CdS Nanocages as Efficient Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution

“…To overcome the surface recombination, constructing a close contacted heterojunction by coupling other metal sulfides owning similar crystal parameters can boost charge separation and transfer. − CdS has been extensively studied in photocatalytic splitting of water because of the unique optical absorption characteristics, adjustable band gap, and special electronic structure. − However, CdS as a prospective photocatalyst for hydrogen production also faces some issues, such as photocorrosion and rapid recombination of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs. , Therefore, coupling Co 9 S 8 with CdS to form a heterojunction does not only inhibit the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs and photocorrosion of CdS but also retains the chemical catalytic activity of a Co atom for water splitting. Because the Co atom has an adequate orbital energy level and an empty d orbital, which has strong interaction with a water molecule, it results in the decrease of energy barriers during water splitting. − …”