Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution based on ternary noble-metal-free Co3O4/CdS/g-C3N4 composite

Constructing heterojunction has been widely explored and considered to be an effective way for improving photocatalytic efficiency. In this work, we fabricated CdS-based ternary composites (Co3O4/CdS/g-C3N4) by forming heterojunction via simple self-assembly and subsequent in-situ solvothermal process for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Experimental results showed that the 5%Co3O4/CdS/g-C3N4 nanocomposite exhibited an excellent photocatalytic hydrogen generation rate of 30 880 μmol h−1 g−1 under visible light irradiation, about 17.1-fold than that of pure CdS. This augmented photoactivity of the ternary heterogeneous owes to the synergistic effects of different materials, which ultimately led to improving photoinduced charge separation. This research demonstrated that CdS-based ternary heterostructures have great potential for boosting the photocatalytic hydrogen production.