Molecular Adsorption─An Effective Modification for a ZnCdS Photocatalyst in a Hydrogen Production Reaction

The main challenge in advancing the photocatalytic hydrogen production technology is to achieve the simultaneous improvement of the photocatalytic reduction ability of photocatalysts and their light absorption efficiency. In this regard, this work introduces a composite photocatalyst based on ZnCdS (namely ZCS-EDA). Under both full light and visible light irradiation, ZCS-EDA-80 exhibits outstanding performance in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Both experimental and theoretical analyses have confirmed that the adsorbed EDA molecules can provide electrons to ZnCdS. These electrons not only induce an upward bending to the conduction band of ZnCdS that contributes to the elevated photocatalytic water reduction ability but also enhance the light absorption capacity of ZnCdS. This investigation underscores the efficacy of improving the photocatalytic performance by adsorbing the strong electron-donating EDA molecules onto the surface of the photocatalyst, providing a fresh perspective for synthesizing novel photocatalysts and optimizing their photocatalytic performance for practical usages.