In-situ preparation of Co2P decorated ZnSe photocatalysts for boosting photocatalytic H2 generation under visible light

Zinc selenide (ZnSe) has recently developed into an appealing semiconductor material for visible-light-driven photocatalytic H2 production due to its suitable band gap and superior stability. However, constructing ZnSe-based hybrid systems to improve charge separation and photocatalytic performance remains challenging. Herein, Co2P/ZnSe composites are synthesized by a facile in-situ solvothermal method for efficient H2 production via photocatalytic water splitting. The optimized 8.4% Co2P/ZnSe composite displays an excellent H2 production rate of 2799 μmol g−1 h−1, exceeding that of pristine ZnSe by a factor of 4.2. The significant improvement in the photocatalytic H2 reaction of Co2P/ZnSe composites is attributed to the formed intimate interfaces through the in-situ growth of ultrafine Co2P onto ZnSe. At the same, Co2P can act as a profitable cocatalyst coupled with ZnSe to promote the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers. This work brings valuable insights into the preparation and photocatalytic mechanism of ZnSe anchored with metal phosphide, which may be further extended to other solar energy conversion systems.