Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation via Up-conversion in Y2O3:Yb3+, Er3+ Nanoparticles Under Near-infrared Light Irradiation

doi:10.1007/s40242-025-5098-5

Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (4): 859-867.doi: 10.1007/s40242-025-5098-5

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Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation via Up-conversion in Y₂O₃:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺ Nanoparticles Under Near-infrared Light Irradiation

YAN Shaohan^1,2, WANG Lijing⁴, SHAN Pengnian², LIN Xue³, SHI Weilong^1,2

1. Key Laboratory of Green Extraction & Efficient Utilization of Light Rareearth Resources of Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010, P. R. China;
2. School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003, P. R. China;
3. School of Material Science and Engineering, Beihua University, Jilin 132013, P. R. China;
4. Henan Engineering Center of New Energy Battery Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu 476000, P. R. China

Received:2025-05-15 Accepted:2025-06-15 Online:2025-08-01 Published:2025-07-24
Supported by:
This work was supported by the Open Fund of the Key Laboratory of Green Extraction & Efficient Utilization of Light Rare-earth Resources, China (No. KLRE-KF-008), the Science and Technology Development Project of Jilin Province, China (Nos. 20230203010SF and 20220101237JC), and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talent Funding Project of Jilin Province, China (No. 2023QN36).

Abstract

Abstract: Against the backdrop of increasing energy shortages, hydrogen energy has garnered significant attention as a green and clean alternative energy source. To fully exploit a broader portion of the solar spectrum, we designed a Y₂O₃:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺/ZnIn₂S₄(denoted as YYE/ZIS) composite photocatalyst with a well-defined loaded structure of coating Y₂O₃:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺ nanoparticles on the ZnIn₂S₄ micro-flowers, capable of efficiently utilizing near-infrared (NIR) light through an up-conversion mechanism. The introduction of Yb³⁺ and Er³⁺ ions endows the Y₂O₃ with excellent up-conversion luminescence properties, enabling the effective conversion of low-energy NIR photons into high-energy visible light over YYE/ZIS composite, which subsequently activates the ZIS component for NIR-driven photocatalytic hydrogen production. Photoelectrochemical characterizations reveal that the loaded structure significantly facilitates efficient charge separation and migration at the interface, while markedly suppressing the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, thereby enhancing the overall photocatalytic performance. Remarkably, the catalyst demonstrates excellent NIR-response hydrogen evolution performance (16.3 μmol·g^-1·h^-1) even in the absence of noble metal co-catalysts, such as Pt, achieving a hydrogen production rate approximately 10.9 times higher than that of pristine ZIS. This work proposes a novel approach for constructing up-conversion-enabled composite photocatalysts with rationally engineered interfacial architectures.

Key words: Photocatalytic, Hydrogen, Up-conversion, Near-infrared (NIR), Y₂O₃:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺, ZnIn₂S₄

YAN Shaohan, WANG Lijing, SHAN Pengnian, LIN Xue, SHI Weilong. Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation via Up-conversion in Y₂O₃:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺ Nanoparticles Under Near-infrared Light Irradiation[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2025, 41(4): 859-867.

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Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation via Up-conversion in Y₂O₃:Yb³⁺, Er³⁺ Nanoparticles Under Near-infrared Light Irradiation

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