Highly active nickel-loaded β-SiC nanowire catalysts for photocatalytic H2 production by water splitting

Developing a highly efficient water-splitting photocatalyst for hydrogen production under visible light is urgent. In this study, β-SiC nanowire photocatalysts loaded with 0.01–0.1 wt. % nickel were prepared. Their microstructure and hydrogen production activity were studied. The catalyst with 0.05 wt. % nickel and a sacrificial agent Na2S–Na2SO3 shows the highest hydrogen production rate of 375.4 µmol g−1 h−1 since the loaded nickel prohibits the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs in the system, which enhances the photocatalytic activity.