BiOBr/Cd0.805Zn0.195S Nanocomposite with S-Scheme Heterojunction for Efficient and Stable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Without Co-catalysts

doi:10.1007/s40242-025-5081-1

Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (4): 790-798.doi: 10.1007/s40242-025-5081-1

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BiOBr/Cd_0.805Zn_0.195S Nanocomposite with S-Scheme Heterojunction for Efficient and Stable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Without Co-catalysts

MENG Aoyun¹, LI Juan², CAO Qianqian¹, LI Zhenhua¹, LI Wen¹, LI Zhen¹, ZHANG Jinfeng³, FU Junwei⁴

1. College of Food Science and Engineering, Anhui Science and Technology University, Chuzhou 239000, P. R. China;
2. School of Physics and Electronic Information Engineering, Ningxia Normal University, Guyuan 756000, P. R. China;
3. Anhui Province Industrial Generic Technology Research Center for Alumics Materials, School of Physics and Electronic Information, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, P. R. China;
4. Hunan Joint International Research Center for Carbon Dioxide Resource Utilization, School of Physics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, P. R. China

Received:2025-04-25 Accepted:2025-05-22 Online:2025-08-01 Published:2025-07-24
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42407636), the Major Foundation of the Educational Commission of Anhui Province, China (No. 2022AH040068), the Anhui Province Discipline (Specialty) Professional Leader Cultivation Project, China (No. DTR2024015), the Natural Science Research Project for Colleges and Universities in Anhui Province, China (No. 2023AH051861), the Talent Introduction Foundation of Anhui Science and Technology University, China (No. SPYJ202201), the Open Project of Key Laboratory of Advanced Electrode Materials for Novel Solar Cells for Petroleum and Chemical Industry of China (No. 2024A026), and the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program for College Students, China (No. 202410879001).

Abstract

Abstract: Due to the issue of energy depletion, photocatalytic hydrogen evolution has gained significant attention in recent years as a sustainable energy conversion technology. However, traditional single photocatalytic materials often face problems of low catalytic activity and stability. To address this challenge, this study proposes novel BiOBr/Cd_0.805Zn_0.195S (BO/CZS) nanocomposite materials, which effectively enhance photocatalytic hydrogen evolution efficiency through an S-scheme heterojunction design. Under visible light without the use of a co-catalyst, pure BO shows almost no photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity, while CZS exhibits a hydrogen evolution rate of 4.0 mmol∙g^-1∙h^-1. The hydrogen evolution rate of the 2% BO loading composite material (2-BO/CZS) significantly increases to 5.9 mmol∙g^-1∙h^-1. Stability tests show that the 2-BO/CZS composite material retains 97% of its initial activity after four cycles. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis and differential charge density analysis confirm that the heterojunction mechanism of this composite material follows the S-scheme charge transfer mechanism, which effectively promotes the separation and migration of photogenerated charge carriers, reduces charge recombination, and significantly improves catalytic efficiency. This system demonstrates outstanding stability and efficiency in hydrogen evolution, making it a promising candidate material for sustainable hydrogen production applications.

Key words: Photocatalytic, Hydrogen, Nanocomposite, S‐Scheme

MENG Aoyun, LI Juan, CAO Qianqian, LI Zhenhua, LI Wen, LI Zhen, ZHANG Jinfeng, FU Junwei. BiOBr/Cd_0.805Zn_0.195S Nanocomposite with S-Scheme Heterojunction for Efficient and Stable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Without Co-catalysts[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2025, 41(4): 790-798.

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BiOBr/Cd_0.805Zn_0.195S Nanocomposite with S-Scheme Heterojunction for Efficient and Stable Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Without Co-catalysts

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