Modification of carnation-like CuInS2 with Cu-MOF nanoparticles for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production

In this study, Cu-MOF nanoparticles were synthesized and anchored on the surface of carnation-like CuInS2 (CIS) for efficient hydrogen evolution. The floral structure of CIS could significantly improve the light absorption performance. Under light irradiation, the built-in electric field at the interface between CIS and Cu-MOF drove the photogenerated electrons at the conduction band of Cu-MOF fleetly recombined with the holes at the valent band of CIS. Consequently, the powerful photogenerated electrons at the conduction band of CIS worked on proton reduction. This S-scheme photogenerated charge transfer route was decoded through in-situ XPS, energy band structure analysis, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Benefiting from robust reduction capacity and enhanced light absorption performance, the hydrogen evolution efficiency of the optimized Cu-MOF/CIS was up to 1013.35 μmol g−1 h−1, 6.56 and 9.56 times that of CuInS2 and Cu-MOF, respectively, and the apparent quantum efficiency (AQY) reached 15% at 420 nm. This study provides an efficient strategy for photocatalyst design by coupling S-scheme and morphology control.