Synthesis of Bi₂S₃nanorods supported on ZrO₂semiconductor as an efficient photocatalyst for hydrogen production under UV and visible light

Abstract

BACKGROUND To overcome the drawback of low photocatalytic efficiency due to electron − hole recombination and narrow photoresponse range, a novel Bi2S3/ZrO2 composite photocatalyst was designed. The composite possesses wide photoabsorption up to 800 nm, which occupies mostly the UV and visible light region. Composites of Bi2S3/ZrO2 were synthesized using a solvothermal method. The photocatalytic production of hydrogen from methanol/water, under UV and visible light, was demonstrated. RESULTS A remarkable activity for hydrogen production was obtained for Bi2S3/ZrO2 composites under UV and visible light. The reported hydrogen production under UV light were 4440 µmol h−1 g−1 for 6 wt% Bi2S3/ZrO2 increasing by a factor of 6 the production obtained for the bare ZrO2 support. The hydrogen production under visible light was 1476 µmol h−1 g−1 for the same 6 wt. % Bi2S3 composite showing that this photocatalyst is active under both UV and visible light. CONCLUSION The the optimal content of 6 wt. % of Bi2S3/ZrO2 composite exhibited an enhanced performance under UV and visible light compared to bare ZrO2 and Bi2S3 semiconductors. This improvement is attributed to a reduced recombination of e−/h+, as indicated by photoluminescence (PL) study. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry

Comprehensive review and future perspectives on the photocatalytic hydrogen production

“…Nowadays, 95% of H 2 is obtained by steam reforming of fossil fuels, mainly methane. This process operates at high temperatures and pressures, and thus is energy‐intensive . Water (H 2 O) electrolysis is one of the most promising H 2 production alternatives, especially, for storage of surplus electricity; a variety of commercial electrolysers for large‐scale applications is available on the market .…”

“…A wide variety of semiconductor photocatalysts has been investigated so far, such as chalcogenides (ZnS, CdS, CdSe), metal oxides (TiO 2 , Cu 2 O, ZrO 2 ), carbonaceous materials (g‐C 3 N 4 ) and solid solutions [(Ga 1‐x Zn x )(N 1‐x O x ), (AgIn) x Zn 2(1‐x) S 2 ] . However, TiO 2 is still the most widely used photocatalyst because of its good stability in a wide range of pH conditions, resistance to photo‐corrosion, nontoxicity and commercial availability.…”

Exfoliation Behavior of van der Waals Strings: Case Study of Bi2S3

“…26 The crystalline structure of Bi 2 S 3 (Figure 1) makes it a prime candidate material for investigating the agitative production of vdW strings. 20,27,28 The structure consists of atomic scale strings covalently bound along the c-axis. The covalent bonds are significantly stronger than the vdW forces in the a−b plane (Figure 1c).…”

Comparative Effect of Adsorption and Photodegradation on Benzene and Naphthalene Using Bismuth Oxide Modify Graphene Oxide

“…Other combinations as graphene oxide (GO) ZnO/(FeO-SiO )/rGO called hybrid photocatalyst has demonstrated good photocatalytic reaction in the oxidative degradation of methylene blue [8,9], with this GO make it an ideal candidate for environmental applications. Previously, we have demonstrated the use of bismuth and its derivatives in photocatalytic applications using visible light, this makes it desirable for the photocatalytic process [10]. The aim of this research, it was to investigate the use of graphene oxide and the graphene oxide modified by bismuth oxide for the removal of benzene and naphthalene hydrocarbons, exploring the synergy between the adsorption process on graphene oxide and the photodegradation effect with bismuth oxide using visible irradiation in aqueous media.…”