Coal-based carbon quantum dots modified Ni-MOF and Co/Zr-MOF heterojunctions for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

NS-CQDs were synthesized by a hydrothermal method using high-sulfur lignite as the carbon source. Modification of Ni-MOF and Co/Zr-MOF using NS-CQDs to explore the performance of composite photocatalysts for hydrogen production. It was found that NS-CQDs significantly enhanced the hydrogen precipitation performance of the composite photocatalysts compared with the MOFs catalysts alone, and the highest hydrogen precipitation rate of the novel composite photocatalyst 5%NS-CQDs/NCZ2 reached 3662.68 μmol g−1 h−1. It can be inferred from the conduction band and valence band positions of Ni-MOF, Co/Zr-MOF and NS-CQDs that a double S-type heterojunction is formed. The presence of thiophene and pyrrole nitrogen in NS-CQDs can promote electron transport, reduce the rate of electron-hole pair complexation, and improve the hydrogen evolution activity of the 5%NS-CQDs/NCZ2.